Page 27 of Missing Pieces
Chapter Fifteen
I stopped at Home Depot on the way home from work and scanned the prices of things trying to decide what to tackle first. The gardening tools and plants were cheaper than paint supplies, so I decided to update the lawn. It was a gorgeous day outside which surprised me considering we should be entering the dog days of summer. A cool breeze floated through the mountains and the sun was beaming brightly in the sky.
I was thankful Easton let me borrow his truck since it made buying supplies easier to haul home then shoving them in the trunk of a Civic that would barely fit a body. I had a grand idea of adding a wraparound porch on the right side of the house that would lead to the back deck. But I had zero skills in construction and that would cost a lot more than I could afford. I wanted to keep the idea fresh though, so I decided to tear up the grass in front of the left side of the house outside of the kitchen window. It felt good to work with my hands again. I hadn’t done any landscaping work since college when my friends and I rented a house. It was a project for school and I passed with flying colors. After ripping up the grass, I started to work the soil and was adding new planting soil to the ground when my phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Hi, sweetheart! How are you?”
“Hi, Dad!” I wipe some sweat from my brow and throw my gardening gloves on the ground.
“I wanted to call to let you know we got back safe and sound to the states. I would have called earlier but I had some work issues to take care of and your mother had some social things to plan.”
“The important things,” I joke, knowing my dad feels the same way about my mother’s social life. “Did you guys have a good time in Europe and Asia?”
“We did. It was nice to get away for so long. But enough about our trip. How are you holding up? How’s the country treating you?”
“Honestly, it is really nice out here.” I let out a breath and realize I really do like it here. For now. “It’s refreshing not being so busy all the time. I feel like it’s the first time I can breathe in a while.”
“That’s great sweetheart. You keep doing what you need to do to get back to a hundred percent.”
I smile into the phone knowing my dad actually cares about my mental health more than my mother. “Yeah, it is great. I am actually gardening right now! Can you believe that? It’s been years since I was able to do this!”
“Wow! Get back in your groove so you can improve our house when you come back here.” He laughs into the phone. I know that my mother pays for landscaping, but it would be nice to do something for my parents.
“Well, I have a meeting in a couple of minutes but I called to let you know I sent over a thousand dollars to your bank account so you should be able to get things moving quicker on the car front. I know it won’t be enough to fix the entire car, but your mother found out and she was adamant about not sending you any more than that.”
I look at the truck Easton let me borrow and wonder if I even want to fix my car. I’ve had the truck for a whopping three days and I already like it more than Blue Betty.
My dad must take my silence for worry because he adds, “Not that I am saying to rush out of White Creek, was it? If you like it there stay as long as you need. Heal. Get back to you.”
I wish I could hug my dad right now. He hasn’t always been the most understanding person to me but in the last few years we’ve grown closer and I am glad he is always on my side now. “Thanks, Dad. I am working on it. I will keep you posted as to my plans on leaving.”
“Okay, Harper. Well, duty calls. I will talk to you later. Love you, honey.”
“Love you too, Dad.” I hang up with a smile on my face. I look at my cracked phone screen and realize with the money he just sent over I would be able to get a new phone. Not that I know where in the hell to get a phone around here.
I kneel down to get back to work when my phone rings again. I assume my dad forgot to tell me something but am met with disappointment when I answer my phone. “Did you forget something, Dad?”
“Where the hell are you?”
Fuck. It’s Drew.
“Why does that matter?” I respond, trying hard to hold back the irritation in my voice.
“Because my lawyer has been trying to send you fucking papers to sign and twice they have been returned to him by the post office. Are you not at your parents’? Or did you lie about going there too?”
Anger clouds my vision as I try to respond. “Lying? Lying!” I shout. “You have the nerve to accuse me of lying?. I haven’t lied to you about shit. You were the one that lied to my face.”
“Do not raise your fucking voice to me. I am sure you lied about plenty of things. And, don’t worry, we’ll find out about them.” Bitterness coats his voice.
I scoff into the phone figuring out why this divorce is taking so long. “You really think I wronged you in our marriage. I was in love with you. You were everything to me. Even after you got injured senior year, I still loved you. I had your back despite the fact I knew you weren’t going to go pro. Unlike so many of those other skanks all over the football team.” It feels good to let this out even though I know it will probably come back to bite me in the ass. “I loved you up until the day I found you fucking that cunt from your office.”
“Quit with the games. You stopped loving me long before that. Why do you think I started fucking other people? Because you wouldn’t open your legs for your own husband.”
He backed me into a corner silencing me. He didn’t know what happened, no one did. But, I am not going to tell him now or ever. “I was depressed.”
He laughs into the phone sarcastically. “Well look where your little depression episode led you. Alone and broke. Maybe you should have thought twice about that before filing for divorce.”