A few days had passed since Nick filed for divorce. He was worried because he still hadn’t heard from Ashton. Nick was waiting for her to yell at him. He decided to pay her a visit. He got out of the car and headed to the front door. Should he walk in or ring the bell? Nick didn’t know the rules of divorce. Heck, he couldn’t even get any advice on the subject. Almost all of his friends were happily married. He decided to ring the doorbell.

Ann opened the door. “Hello Nick.” She left the door open, so he could come in.

“How’s Ashton doing?”

“Not good. She won’t leave her bedroom. She won’t eat. I’m worried about her. The kids are coming back tomorrow.”

“Shit. I didn’t know this would happen” Nick felt guilty. He wasn’t in love with her, but he still cared about the mother of his children. He regretted hurting her. This divorce was to make things better, not make it worse. “I’m going to go talk to her.”

Nick raced up the stairs before Ann could stop him. He felt like a stranger in his own house. He knocked on the bedroom door, but all he got was silence. Quietly, he opened the door. He was shocked by what he saw. Clothes, make-up, glass, and papers littered the floor. Ashton was the calmest person he knew unless she was mad. Then her temper got the best of her. She was worse than Kevin when he had pms. She had the covers over her head.

Nick walked over and gently lowered the covers, so he could see her face. Her hair was going every which way, and he could see where her mascara had run down her cheeks. She was a sight. Nick had never seen her like this. “Ashton, are you ok?” He whispered. She looked at me and turned over to the other side.

“Ashton, please don’t ignore me. I’m worried about you.”

“Why now? You’re the one who caused my pain.”

“I care about you. I don’t want you falling apart over this divorce.”

“Are you for real? The only man I ever loved is divorcing me. Yet, he wants me to be happy about it. He wants me to just get on with my life because he is. What do you think about that Nick? Who in there right mind would be stupid enough to expect me to be happy about this?” I sat up and looked at my husband.

I don’t expect you to be happy. I don’t expect you to move on with your life. What I expect is that you are mature and are able to take care of our kids.” He raised his voice.

“I will have no problem taking care of my kids. This will not change or affect my parenting skills. I will help them understand why mommy and daddy aren’t together anymore. My poor babies. This is going to tear them up. Jackson is going to take this harder than Rachel. Nick what were you thinking? I started to cry. That’s all I seemed to be doing these past few days.

“I know it’s not going to be easy for Jackson or Rachel, but won’t it be easier if their parents are happy?”

“Don’t you mean if their dad is happy? You are the only one happy about this situation.”

Nick was getting frustrated. Their conversations always seemed to be going to circles. Nothing ever got solved. It was the same thing over and over. Ashton buried her head under a pillow. He got up and started cleaning up the mess. This was the worst he ever felt in his life.

---------------------------------

“Another beer please.” He told the bartender. Nick hadn’t drank in a long time. He needed something to calm his nerves. He sat the bar, his mind full of emotions. The bartender placed another beer in front of him.

“Penny for your thoughts.” An old man sat next to him.

“Problems at home.”

“Get in a fight with the Mrs.?” I swallowed my beer.

“Yeah. We’re getting a divorce.”

“I remember the time when no one got divorced. Young people today want to end things when it gets a little tough.” The old man commented.

“What if you aren’t in love anymore?”

“Son, let me tell you something. I’ve been married for sixty years. I love my wife dearly. I was madly in love with her since I met her at the beach. We got married and had kids. There were years, I don’t even remember because we were wrapped up with the kids. Were there times I felt like I wasn’t in love with her? Yes, but then I realized that wasn’t the real love. That was that Hallmark card, Valentine’s Day romance. Love like that only lasts in movies. Real love has nothing to do with romance and sex. Real love is dealing with everyday life. It’s the person who knows you better than yourself and loves you anyway. It’s the person who you know has your back in the middle of a crisis. It’s the person who will take care you even when they are sick and don’t want to. “

“Thank you sir. You’ve given me something to think about.”

“Son, take my advice. Before you sign those divorce papers, think about what you will be missing. Think about your wife and how you met. Think about why you asked her out. Think about why you asked her to marry you. Think about all the times she took care of you. Think of how you both handled the hard situations of life. When you’re thinking, at anytime you have that feeling of love for her in the back of you mind, know that you do love and care for her. Remember it’s about the little things, not the Hallmark cards and romantic dates. It’s about taking care of one another. The support that you know you got each other’s backs.” The old man took the last swig of his drink and walked out of the bar. Nick was stunned.