When It's Over

21

Carlos raked his brain for a solution to his marriage. As much as he didn't want his wife to walk out of their marriage, at the moment, he didn't know how to salvage it.

He had not been good to her. He'd forgotten that marriage doesn't mean that you stop dating or showing interest in your partner. It meant that in spite of his busy schedule, he was still supposed to make time, to be a father first and a husband second.

After they'd shed tears and let it all out, they were both seated on opposite sides of the couch.

Jewel looked defeated, her eyes glued to her hands as her lips parted.

"Of course, I want this house. For the kids most importantly. Telling them about the split won't be easy but I want this transition to not be entirely life changing for them."

He'd gotten her to agree to a split. To hold off on the divorce and maybe just maybe during their separation he could win his wife back, but for right now, he'd do whatever she wanted just to hold off on the finality of a divorce.

"Regardless of Jew, this house has always been for you and the kids."

She didn't respond.

"I was thinking hard about this and I don't want you moving too far away because I want to allow them to decide which parent they want to stay with."

Carlos's eyes widened. He knew Jewel better than anyone, those kids were her life, splitting them up would never be an option for her.

"Why?"

"Jeston is the least bit happy with me right now. I know our son, he's going to rebel, he's going to blame this on me and as much as I love him, out of rebellion he's going to ask to stay with you and I want to give him that."

Carlos didn't think he could love his wife anymore than he already did, but even in the process of discussing their separation, she was selfless.

"If he does choose to stay with me, how are we doing who gets who and when?"

"You're not going to always be home so when you're not he'd stay with me. Your commute is longer so unless you're off I would still have to drop him off at school. Mya can stay over when you have your off days and we split holidays."

She retorted.

"You really thought this out huh?"

He questioned as she shrugged her shoulders.

"They are most important and I don't want them to feel responsible or as if we don't love them in the midst of our separation. It's going to be a big adjustment for them, especially Jes. I just want this to be as easy as possible."

Jewel explained and as much as Carlos understood, he still felt like his wife was giving up on them too easily.

Their issues could be fixed. It was fixable, Jewel just needed to want to work through this in return.

"If they are the most important things in our life. Staying together would be what is best for them."

"Parents staying together for their children is the reason we have a lot of messed up kids today. Because they live in homes where they've never seen their parents genuinely show love for each other so they don't know how to love in return."

Jewel's words felt as if she had entered his garden, dug a hole and planted the seeds.

What she'd said was exactly what he'd experienced growing up. His parents not loving each other.

Maybe that's why his mother celebrated him and Jewel as much as she did and visited when things were tough. She was fighting for the love they shared.

"You can stay here until you find a place, but the kids won't be here until two days before your move. That way we can tell them together and if Jeston decides to go with you, he has the chance to pack."