Trouble in Paradise

In the dark room, Rhys slept peacefully as his mother kissed his head and stroked his hair lightly. “I will miss you buddy. Try not to forget me little man, you will always be in my heart.” She whispered. Emily left the room and went to the kitchen to grab a beer.

She then sat at the dining room table waiting for her husband to walk thought the front door. She didn’t know how long he was going to be so she just sat there sipping her beer and listening to the baby monitor.

Sitting in front of her were two envelops. One which she had found in her husband’s office the other she complied herself. After a through read of both documents she laid them out in spate envelops for her husband’s to read.

She checked her watch for what seemed like the hundredth time and hoped matt wasn’t drinking. They really needed to talk, not shout slurred abuse at each other. Emily needn’t have worried so much, five minutes later the key turned in the front door. Matt went straight to the kitchen and by the knocking of glass, he was grabbing a beer. He took a large gulp and scanned her up and down.

“What are you doing, playing dress up?” he hated seeing her in her army greens and sand coloured boots, it was never a good sign.

As he sat down beside her, Emily cleared her throat. “I found the divorce papers in the office,” she stated picking up one of the envelops, not meeting Matt’s eyes. “And before you ask, I was not snooping; I was looking for my medical bills.” Matt opened his mouth to defend himself but Emily swiftly cut him off. “I do realise things have been hard and strained between us lately so I signed them. Every line my name is wanted on is signed. I left the dates for you. You wouldn’t have got these papers if you didn’t want a divorce.”

“Emily. I don’t want to divorce you.” He laughed awkwardly. “I was pissed off with you. I was hurting and wanted to hurt you back. I don’t want a divorce, not now, not ever. I love you too much, ok?” he reached over and placed his hand on her knee.

“Secondly,” she moved her knee away from him and picked up the second envelop. “These are custody papers for Rhys. I have them all signed, so if you want to file for divorce, you can file for sole custody of Rhys as well.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Matt breathe deeply with his head not rising at all. “I love Rhys, I love you. But if this is what you want, you can do it.”

Matt breathed out a pathetic laugh. “I was kidding myself all of these years. I always thought I could break you away from the army. Love, money, security, marriage, kids, none of them worked. I though with the two of us always going away on tours we would come closer together. We never did.” He turned his head toward her, but his eyes couldn’t meet her. “You never loved me as much as I loved you. You were married to the army way before you married me. It’s like the army is your one and only.” He cracked out the words, tears springing to both the married couples’s eyes. He looked around the room a caught an odd object in his view. “Where are you going?”

Emily met his eyes to the army duffle bag sitting near the door. “I’m going to Iraq... for six months.”

“When?”

“I’m leaving at 11am tomorrow.” Their eyes locked neither of them moved their eyes off of each other. “I’ll see you when I get back. I’ll call you once a week. I do love you so much Matt,” tenderly she stroked his cheek, the two of them allowing tears to flow. “But like you said, army is my one and only.”