Better Man

Three Months Later

I grinned like a mad women as I stood in the doorway of the nursery where all four of my babies were sleeping. As small and fragile as they are, they're still fighters. I turned around to see my husband standing there, arms folded, staring at me like something was wrong. I tried to read his eyes, his face, anything to let me know what was going on in his head.

"What is it?"

"Like you don't know,"

"Like I don't? What are you talking about?" I asked, taking his hand, and leading him to the living room, away from the bedroom where the kids were sleeping. "Brian just tell me what's going on,"

"I just got off the phone with a guy called Troy, apparently you guys need to talk about what happened the other night,"

"Brian-"

"You cheated on me. Didn't you?"

"Brian, I didn't, I promise,"

"You wanted payback, didn't you? For all the things I did to you. All the things I put you through. I dunno how you're still alive, really, the pain I can feel in my heart," He raised his hand over his heart, and paused before talking, "It's unbearable. I didn't know how badly it hurts, but you did, yet you do this to me,"

"I didn't do anything," I promised. He looked into my eyes, and all I could see was pain in those beautiful orbs. "Brian why would I ruin this marriage on purpose?"

"Because you hate me! You hate what I've done to you," He yelled, I grimaced. "So," He started, his voice lowered, and unsure. "I'm leaving, tonight,"

"Leaving? As in-"

"Yes, as in I'm moving out,"

I broke out into a fit of tears. "You bastard," I spat. "You cheated on me god knows how many times, and I stayed with you! Yet you think I slept with Troy, and you leave me?"

"This is different, Annabelle," I flinched, he never uses my full name unless he is pissed. "We have a family now,"

"Family? What so Scotty, Aedan and I weren't a good enough family for you? What were we, your mistakes?"

"Anna, thats not what I meant-"

"No that's fine, Brian. You move out, and I'll call my lawyer to organise some divorce papers, then I'll apply for full custody of the kids and you'll never see them again,"

"I won't see them again? Are you out of your mind? No court will give you full custody, an ex-drug addict who's been arrested five times for possesion of substances,"

"Get out of my house!" I yelled, and picked up a hard cover book, throwing it at him. The book his his shoulder, so I picked up another and threw it at him, and before I knew it eight or nine books were laying at his feet. "Get out!"

"Fine, I will. But just remember one thing, the kids are mine, and you'll never take them away from me,"