The Story of Us

Chapter Six

                                                 One Year Later

      One day Jackson started acting really weird and distant. He just was not talking to Nicole about things like he use to do. It was like he was pulling himself away from her. Nicole felt like every time she touched him he would pull away as if she was bothering him.

      "Are you ok?" asked Nicole one night while lying in bed trying to go to sleep.

      "Yeah, I'm just tired."

      "Is everything ok between us?" she asked him sweetly.

      “Yeah, of course it is. I'm just tired and stressed out."

      "You promise?"

      “I promise.” answered Jackson.

      "If anything is ever wrong between us, do you promise to talk to me about it and we will work it out together?" asked Nicole.

      "I promise." Jackson said lovingly. As he pulled her over to hug her.

       A few nights later they were all listening to music and dancing with their little girls. A song came on that Jackson and Nicole use to slow dance to when they were in high school. Jackson grabbed Nicole and pulled her over to him and they started slow dancing together for the first time since they were in school. It was so romantic. Nicole loved it so much. And she loved Jackson and her family more than anything in the entire world.

       Nicole thought that everything was actually starting to get better for them and things were getting back to the way they were when they first fell in love.

                            ~*********************~

       A week later they woke up in the morning and it was Jackson's day off. They all got ready to go to the grocery store to get some things they needed. Jackson was acting like he was in a bad mood. So, Nicole thought she would just give him his space and leave him alone for a while and he would be in a better mood later.

       When they got home Nicole put away all the groceries and the kids were playing while Jackson laid down on the couch. Nicole thought he must have a headache or something so she would let him sleep for a while. While Nicole was putting away the groceries, she thought about leaving something out to make for dinner, but since it was Jackson's day off, she thought they would just go out to dinner some place. They normally go out to eat on Jackson's day off.

        Late afternoon that day, around four or five 'o clock Jackson woke up and went into the kitchen and started making an egg sandwich. Nicole walked in and said, "What are you doing? I thought we were going out to eat?"

      "I'm not going out to eat with you!" Jackson said harshly.

      "What are you talking about? We always go out to eat on your day off."

      "Not anymore. I'm leaving. We are getting a divorce.” said Jackson.

      "Why? What did I do? I thought you said that everything was fine between us. You said you would tell me if anything was wrong and we would talk about it.“ said Nicole worriedly as she started to cry.

      "Whatever, I'm leaving. Give me the twenty dollar bill that we got out of the bank earlier today."

     "Then I won't have any money! How am I supposed to take care of the girls?" asked Nicole.

     "You can have the rest of what’s in the bank. There is $180.00 dollars in there. I'm going to take another $20.00 dollars out so you will have $160.00 dollars."