AFTER A BROKEN MARRIAGE .

chapter3

Her morning routine was tracking around the block she lives  for twenty minutes from six a.m each morning, then she went to the gym where she teaches fitness aerobics, that was simple what Aliyah Alessandra's life was based upon, That was when she wasn't giving her services as she also spend some of her spare time assisting at the home for the elderly in town on main street paulding two hours drive from her penthouse on number 34 street, at twenty eight aliyah has no personal relationship since she broke up with her last boy friend and its been a good three year now she got tired of the relationship and decided to ended, it was sollemly becoming boring as her boyfriend was all about himself, she once believed that like her parents she would build a long term relationship and the first guy to hit it would be the guy but it didn't work according to plan, not that she wasn't in love with him but when the relationship became all about yourself and not us it made sense you walk away, she haven't seen the guy about a year now but the last she saw her was in pursue to get her back, she told herself what gone is gone,
Aliyah  was an only child for both her parents and her only closes friend and best friend was her long term since kindergarten Nelisa Reid,
Aliyah live a quiet life but because she was a aerobic teacher she was known by quit a lot of people in and around town, her work place was on 32 avenue road forty five minutes drive from home,
She got down from her car her small shoulder bag swing across,  both hand held to steady it in front of her, she kept looking around as she walked towards the food court as she intended to do some shopping, she wasn't a person who cooked regularly but she like food in her house in case her mom would swing by, but her meals were mainly something straight from the food court oven heat and then eat, that was when she wasn't going on a dinner date with her girl nelisa, she kept her eyes everywhere else apart from in front of her so she wasn't able to see the struggling guy coming towards her,
Lloyd just  left the cash register and was about to walk out as he struggle with a set of bags that got his  hand full,  since is  his wife was always  complaining about him doing the shopping and she haven't done so he decided to grab something he didn't know much about groceries he mainly buy stuff at one of the fast food restaurant and it wasn't really shopping,
Aliyah kept making her way  through  walking backwards while she focus on other things  across the fruit and vegetables ailes
Lloyd saw her backing up to him but with all he's been carrying it was hard for him to shift he couldn't call out to her for his phone was in his mouth, she came and bump right into him he let go everything to kept her from falling Aliyah grab the hand that held her at the hips screaming from fright,
"I got you" Lloyd said turning her around, he was smiling when she face him, a smile that fades and was replaced with a look of shock, she was beautiful straight face and green eyes with a dashing pairs of small red lips, her dark velvet looking hair curl and fall upon her shoulders she was a bout five feet and nine inches standing at shoulder length, from his perspective he had never seen another woman as pretty, he overall her from her face down her sneakers feet fully dress in gym wear "you OK?" He finally ask
"I am so sorry" aliyah soft voice said "thanks"
"No problem" Lloyd told her as he let her go and went down to put his things together,
"Oh shit!" He curse on picking up his phone to find it crack in multiple places ,
Thought it  was  just an ordinary phone nothing like the ones they are using now a days the iPhone and the galaxy it was just a push button Nokia but when ever he's getting a call on the road it was his source of communication,
"Is it ruined!" Aliyah ask coming down to help him out,
He nods
"I'm sorry" she apologized once more helping him to pick up all his stuffs to put in the bag, "it's all my fault" she said he shook his head, "its not really anyone's fault"
Aliyah smile  they both got up each holding some of his things, she with the sheets of architectural disign blue print,
"Thank you" he said reaching already full hands for the things she held on to,
"Out of curtisy let me walk you out" Aliyah said   after thinking it through he accepted for it was impossible to bring them all on his own wondering now why he didn't pay one of the baggage guys to bring them  out or maybe use one of the tralley, he was no good at these things and has no understanding for it,
She help him to the van as he load them in the back seat,
"Thanks" he said turning to see her looking over his paper,
"Thanks" he said reaching for it,
Aliyah smile, "You're an architec?" She ask as she place the thing in his hand
He nod,
"Sorry about your phone"
"Ah yea don't worry"
Aliyah smile at him as he got in his van she watched him off before going back in to pick her few things up to head home,
After a few trip from the van to inside Lloyd finally finish taking in the bags from the food court he went to the kitchen and grab a small bite while he unpack the groceries and put them away, he finished took a drink and head to the porch to sit down with the blue print he open it and a fine image of the daslin woman flash across the sheets as she smiled from her cute lips, he didn't know why he was thinking about her now but it went on for a while that he almost didn't remember why he opened up the print sheet in the first place ,
The sound of his wife car bring his head up, this was her second time coming home early this week, he watch her out of the car she went to take something off the back seat, two grocery bags he noticed as she came to the porch she paused at the step to look at him but said nothing, he watch her walk by him inside the house she few minutes came back out going to her car once more for her work bag,
He later roll up the paper went inside to lean against the kitchen door post,
Monique turn and look at him as she continue to do what she was,
"Is everything alright?" Lloyd ask
"From where I'm standing" Monique reply,
He left her and went back to the porch for a hour he sat there doing nothing, nothing at all not even thinking, he got up to go back in and check on his wife just to see what she was doing, he found her on the couch eating from what she has prepare,
"You're finished with dinner?" He asked
"It's not dinner it was just something I put together for myself, I never knew you were hungry for I see you went shopping why didn't you fix dinner?"
"But baby you dislike it when I cook"
"You didn't need to cook for me" she said
He nod and walk to the kitchen, he found the pots empty on the stove and nothing from what she fix was covered up anywhere, he went back out going by her to the porch,
He sat frustratingly thinking on his wife's behavior not only did she becomes distance she was becoming grumpy he had no idea what was going on and she wasn't talking to him as should,
He continue to try but same old attitude same old behavior more distancing it seems they were in break out and fighting a pandemic that they both had to social distance,
Lloyd came home Tuesday after work to find his wife home was in the laundry room he could hear the machine running from the hall he went down to find her she turn as he came in
"Good evening" he said with a smile, much as he noticed her behavior against him he tries to be calm and cope with her, its been almost ten months of this  now he was now thinking she's not pregnant for by now to the time they haven't had sex she couldn't be here he  was now thinking of stress from work she's been working over time and leaving early in the morning,
"I'm busy" she said
"I noticed" he said coming in closer to her he got as close as to try kissing her but she walked away,
"Its time you and I really talk"
"What about?"
"You, me"
"What about me, I'm find I'm not sure about you but I'm doing great"
"You know what I'm trying to say Monique"
"So now I can read mine?"
"Please just hear me out"
"I don't have the time" she said,
Lloyd widen his eyes and went out, he was sitting in the living room when she came in with the laundry head to the room, she Was there fumbling around he could see her moving here and there she then came back through the living room go to the wash room and for a while was there once again,
They play silent night as they both climb in bed together both turning back to back, Lloyd close his eyes trying to fall a sleep weary thoughts cloud his mind, he was desperately trying to figure out his wife but how will he if she's not even communicating, he find that as he was drifting off he saw a picture of that girl in his mind he open his eyes trying to figure out why she was there it has been just the one time since he saw her at the food court he figured it must be because of his overwhelming emotions, he dream about her coming towards him at the food court he reach out to touch her but like a glass she shattered into pieces, Lloyd sprang up from his dream, "!!NO!!" He shout waking up his wife,
"What the hell is wrong with you?" She asked
"Nothing go back to bed" he said climbing out,
Monique breathe deeply, "you must have gone mad" she criticized laying back down,
Lloyd cross the hall to the kitchen for some water he took a long drink trying to cool the heat, he was restless through out the rest of night that he didn't even bother to go to bed, he was in the sofa when he saw his wife went by it was six o six  in the morning when he look at his watch  already his wife  was dressed for work,
"What time is it?" He asked though he knew the time,
"Time for you to get up"
"I am up" Lloyd grumbled getting off the sofa though it was still early he grab a fast shower he came back to dig through the closet to find clothes for work when he couldn't he left from the room to hear his wife down the hall in the laundry and went down,
"Honey I can't seems to find my laundry didn't you put them a way?" He asked
"Put them a way oh yes I did put them away" she told him going into the dirty laundry basket came out with a bundle of his things shoved them to his chest, "here" she said
"But these baby are still dirty"
"They are your dirty laundry you deal with them"
"I saw you doing the laundry yesterday" Lloyd said
"My laundry not yours" she said walking by him, Lloyd shook out another dirty pants and t shirt he came out while she was packing the things in her car, she shook her head to the sight of him he got in his truck and drove away he was on the high way when she drove by she turn off on Walton road before the traffic got to moving once again,
He wasn't blind to see that something was wrong with his marriage and want to fix it he couldn't talk to his wife for she wasn't letting him in she's been a lot angry these few passing days, he would love nothing more than to fix it but he need help Thursday he visit his parents Ruth and David Chadwick were always welcoming to their son and firstly to inquire about his marriage, he told them it wasn't good for it wasn't he wish he had a marriage like that his ma and pa share take his young brother jason chadwick for instance he has a good marriage his wife his perfect match and they share two adorable kids his older sister Jessica Chadwick Brown her marriage too was good and she and her husband share a daughter, his other sister still in college but she too has a boy friend and they got a good relationship but what about him, he usually believe his wife was nothing but perfect the only perfect woman he'd ever seen, but she's changing with time time that he wasn't expecting her can't explain her attitude but it's bad
"Maybe you need to see a marriage councilor" Ruth said incoragingly
"Yes son maybe that's what you need you should find one and make an appointment" David told him,
He never thought of it that way he didn't knew any marriage councilor Anyway after leaving his parents he stop to grab some food hoping to make it home before his wife he fix it like he always when he tries to fix her a meal, by seven she got home but ignore him and everything he prepared,
"Honey at least lets sit and talk" Lloyd said when she turn the meal down
"What's there to talk about?" She asked
"Don't you think we should talk about us?"
"Maybe we should!" She shout lloyd step back to look at her, "all this work here is driving me nuts I'd to be cleaning up after you hands and feet you don't do nothing to help out around the house for you are becoming useless your job barely pays and still I have to be doing your dirty laundry, I'm not your mother"
"But you're my wife"
"I am your wife not your freaking house maid" she said going around him, he fall on the sofa and for a while he sat there looking and feeling lost, he thought he was trying everything to make her happy he, he's not trying to say he's not sometimes messy but he was trying,
he went down to the laundry room took his clothes from the laundry basket fill the machine and put them all in without botherng to separate nothing at all,
After a full hour lloyd check back down the laundry room he open the machine wondering where did all his white shirts goes a gray shirt that was one of his favorite was now black "ah damn!!!" He said cursing as he kick at the machine,
He took them to the room to pack them in the hanger Monique look as he rest the basket to the floor then looked back at him seeing all what had happened, he finished packing and went back out, soon as he turned their room door she got up to look at them,
Next morning he dress for work in one of his spoil white shirts, Monique frown and make a face soon as she turn to look at him but said nothing he came around her to took a box of oj from the refrigerator then left the house she later hear his van going out the drive, but by she was going to work he was by the road looking inside it's banet he saw her looking as she drove by,
The old van took him a while to start up and he got to work late, he didn't have a job at hand right now for he had finished the repairs he was doing, he sat in office most of the day in the  evening he left thinking he should fix that appointment to see the marriage counselor he wasn't even sure where to start looking for one he stop to grab a hot dog from the hot dog cart the red convertable caught his eyes as he wonder what his wife was doing in paulding he watch to see but instead of his wife a different woman exit the car from he took notice of the license plate to realize it wasn't her car either, the woman was coming his way she was dressed in baggy jeans and sneakers but wore a belly blouse that show her parce navel her hair down and she wore a hat,
Aliyah went by the man with out glancing his way but on walking by she saw his van she stop to look then smile
"Hi" she said
"Do I know you?" Lloyd ask
Aliyah remove her hat, "we met at the food court I bump into you and you smash your phone"
"Ah right" lloyd widen his eyes remembered she was in his dream only few nights ago,
"You're that architectic"
He nods "I didn't recognize you"
"I noticed" she said with a smile,
"So how are you?"
"I'm not too bad" he lied for her was too bad, worst at a matter of fact,  "anyway" she said waving
Lloyd nod she walk away looking back at him more than once lloyd pretended not to see her looking at him as he himself admire her she was quite a gorgeous woman, it was hard not to notice a woman with beauty  she disappeared into the mall he got in his van and drove home, his wife didn't come home tonight until late he came from down the hall as she came in the living room she went by him into the kitchen neither of them spoke to each other he was sitting in the living room when he heard her laughing he went to the room to hear her on the phone she turn to look at him shot him a angry look went inside the bathroom slam the door he sat on the bed as her laughter continues he must have dozed off for she shook him sometime later "do you mind?" She question,
Lloyd lift his head to look found he was laying across the bed got up and went to the living room spending the night there.
He stop at the architectural supply store on the way to work he couldn't get the old van started curse the damn old van he got tired of fixing it but couldn't buy a new one now for things were slow, it was hard traveling around in such a van for the past couple of weeks he was having the same amount of trouble with it as say his wife, it kept breaking down taking for ever to start, He was unsure what to do next for the old van was killing him the problem with his wife has worsen and he was confused to a point of giving up and just moved on but that was another problem he had no idea how to start over.