Waking up in the morning is rough. For a few brief seconds, everything seems just as it always has been. But the body pressed against mine is definitely not Aaron's. That thought causes my eyes to flicker open, looking down at the hand wrapped around my waist.
There are marks of colored paint on the tan hand, one that I easily recognize as Ollie. Then everything comes flooding back: the doctor's appointment, Aaron leaving, throwing out all the baby stuff, and Ollie coming over.
And just like that, I am wide awake. Letting out a soft sigh, I try to squirm out of bed. It takes a bit of maneuvering, since Ollie pulls me tighter against his chest as I try to move away from him.
He grumbles when I finally pull away, brows furrowed as he buries his face in my pillow. The sight has me shaking my head, surprised how deep of a sleeper he can be.
The house is silent as I walk through, seeming almost too big now. When Aaron and I first decided to rent this house, we did it with future kids in mind. There are four bedrooms and bathrooms, with a basement and large backyard. With the kid prospect being dashed, though, the house just feels too empty.
Shivering, I grab the blanket from off of the couch, wrapping it over my shoulders as I shuffle into the kitchen. The coffee machine is already gurgling, having started at 7:30 this morning, just as it does every morning. It is something I have much appreciated, ever since Virginia- Ollie's grandama- got it for me as a wedding gift.
I am just sitting down on the couch with my fresh cup of coffee- some caramel creamer mixed in- when I hear a familiar ringtone. Ollie's phone is buzzing on the coffee table, and I reach forward to pick it up.
His grandama's name is flashing across the screen, and I quickly answer it.
"Hello?"
"Milo, dear, is that you?" she asks, her voice just as smooth as always. She sounds every bit of the alpha that she is, always confident, and her smooth tenor emanates this.
"Yes, Virginia. How are you?" I ask, taking a quick sip of my coffee.
"I'm doing wonderful, dear. How are you?"
My lips purse as I try to think of a response. She has always been good at telling when either of us are lying. Before I even have a chance, though, she is already talking again. "Oh no, Milo. What happened?"
"Nothing, I'm fine," I say, voice coming out weaker than I intended. "Just a rough week is all."
She doesn't say anything for a minute, and I can tell that she wants to ask more. But she just lets soft a soft sigh. "Alright. Why don't you come over for brunch with Ollie today? You sound like you could use a nice breakfast."
"Oh, I don't want to intrude," I say, quickly trying to backtrack.
"Don't even try that with me, Milo. You know that you wouldn't be intruding. Now, go wake my grandson up and have him over at my house by 11:00. See you soon, dear."
She hangs up before I can even think about protesting. I should have known better than to try and get out of her usual Saturday brunch. This has been a longstanding tradition for her and Milo. His Apa wasn't the best after his Opa died, turning to work in order to bury the grief. Grandama wasn't going to let Ollie suffer, though, so she ended up gaining custody of him when he was just eleven. I don't even think he has seen his father ever since he signed the papers giving Virginia parental rights.
The grandfather clock in the corner tells me that it is only a few minutes after eight. We don't have to leave here until quarter till eleven since Virginia's house isn't too far from here. Grabbing the television remote, I turn the news on, letting the daily failings of politics and the rare happy story roll over me as I drink my coffee and try to wake up.
By the time the grandfather clock starts to chime the new hour, I decide to get moving. My coffee is long gone anyways, and I have a feeling I will be needing an extra cup to get through the day.
Ollie comes stumbling down the stairs a half hour later, a perpetual grumpy look on his face as he takes the fresh cup of coffee from my hands.
"Virginia called," I tell him, pouring the last of the batter into the pan before placing it into the preheated oven. "Told me to make sure that we aren't late to brunch."
He grunts, taking a sip of coffee. It takes a minute for my words to sink in, but when they do, his eyes widen just as I expected them to.
"Oh god," he rasps. "She must know something is up. That woman has a sixth sense for telling when something is amiss."
Humming, I lean back against the counter, waiting for the blueberry poke cake to be done. It is one of Ollie's favorites, and something his grandama favors as well. Might as well make something that we all love.
"You don't have to go, Milo." He looks up at me, his brown eyes wide with concern. "We both know how pushy she can be, and I would completely understand if you would rather stay home and relax instead."
Shaking my head, I give him a soft smile. "No, it's fine. I want to get out of the house anyway. This will be the last little break I get before I have to start sorting everything out."
"What do you mean?"
Gesturing at the house, I give him a somewhat incredulous look. "There is no way I can afford the rent on this place with just my salary. I have enough in savings to pay the next month's rent, but after that, I will be really struggling. Besides, my car is something that I won't be able to afford anymore. I'm going to sell it and get something a bit cheaper. Luckily, my insurance is solid, or else I would really be hurting after all the fertility treatments that didn't even work."
"Milo," Ollie says, his voice soft. "It's going to be alright."
He comes to stand in front of me, and it is only when I focus on him that I notice my trembling. I am used to everything being in order, taking risks that I know I can handle. But this, Aaron leaving me with all these bills and no way to pay them, has me struggling to try and see how this will work out.
"After brunch, we'll get everything sorted."
"Yeah?" I ask, voice coming out quite shaky.
"Yeah, of course." He pulls me into a tight hug. "Now, go take a shower. I'll get everything else ready so that we can leave on time."
Nodding my head, I breathe in his familiar scent before pulling away.
The shower is wonderful, and I am really going to miss having this amazing water pressure. I am hoping that I will be able to find a place that isn't too bad but still within my price range. Willow Creek is a tiny town, an hour away from the nearest big city. Ollie and I had grown up here, so I had wanted to move back after college. Aaron had protested at first, but he had finally given in when he saw that we could rent a house for the same cost as a small apartment in the city.
Now, I am just grateful that the town is so cheap. Hopefully, it will not be too hard to find a place. I don't need much. Just a one bedroom with decent heating for the cold winter that will be here in a few months.
Sighing, I turn off the shower before stepping out on the mat. The towel is warm as I wrap it around me, due to the heated rack that Aaron had insisted on getting. He always had to have the best of everything.
By the time I make it downstairs in a fresh pair of clothes, Ollie has the kitchen cleaned, with the poke cake packed and ready to go. The clock on the oven only reads nine-thirty. We have plenty of time before we have to leave.
"Do you want to run by your place before we head over to Virginia's?" I ask, leaning against the counter. "If not, I can just lend you some clothes."
Ollie nods his head, taking a long sip of coffee. "I'll take you up on that offer. If I run home now, we will end up being late."
"Alright. Go ahead and grab whatever you want."
"Be back in a second," he says, taking his coffee with him as he heads up the stairs.
My phone vibrating catches my attention. The call is just about to end when I manage to find my phone on the coffee table, but when I see the name flashing across the screen, I am tempted to just not answer it. Not being one to wuss out of something, I clench my eyes shut while pressing the answer button.
"What?"
"Hello, Milo," Aaron says, voice sounding as neutral as ever. I always hate it when he speaks like that, and he knows it. "I am calling to let you know that I will be picking up my stuff tonight. I talked to the landlord, and he canceled the lease, so you have to be out of the place by the end of the month."
"You talked to him without me?"
"It's not like you can afford the place on your own, and I don't want to have my credit ruined when you don't make next month's payment."
His words have me seething. I have always been able to take care of myself, and while I knew that I would have to move out anyway, having the choice taken away from me makes me feel like I am back in grade school.
Knowing that he is waiting for me to retaliate in some way, I just choose to ignore him. At least I can gain something from knowing he will not get this satisfaction. "Fine. Be here at seven."
Without waiting for him to respond, I hang up the phone.
Was it really just yesterday that my marriage fell apart? It feels like it has been days, not just one. Squeezing the bridge of my nose, I try to stave off the headache I can feel trying to come on. The only thing that keeps me from sinking into the couch and curling into a tight ball is the sound of Ollie coming down the stairs.
He has always been protective, and I don't really want to hear him ranting about my soon to be ex-husband. So, I take a deep breath before dropping my hand away from my face.
"Ready to go?" Ollie says, walking into the living room. He must have diverted to the kitchen really quick, because he has the poke cake in hand. His brows crinkle in concern when he sees me, quickly moving across the room to me. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," I whisper, forcing a smile on my face. "Let's go."
He looks like he wants to protest, but he bites his tongue, nodding his head before following me over to the door.