isn’t the time either,’ said Anna gently.
‘See, you’re doing it again. You’re avoiding the issue. Avoiding us.’
Anna took a deep breath. ‘There is no “us”. I told you that the other day. Getting back together just isn’t an option anymore. If anything, we should be looking to make our separation official. Taking it a step further. Divorce.’
‘Divorce?’ Mark sat back, as if the word had been spat at him. ‘You want a divorce? Where the fuck did that idea come from? We’ve never talked about divorce before. Never.’
‘Maybe it’s about time we did,’ said Anna carefully. She could see a muscle beginning to twitch in his jaw, tension visible in his neck, spreading down through his shoulders, reaching his hands as he balled and unballed his fists. A familiar sign that an explosion of temper was on the way.
‘No!’ Mark shouted the word. People at a nearby table turned round to look briefly. His next words were quieter but still as forceful. ‘I’m not agreeing to a divorce.’ With that, he stood up and marched out of the pub.
‘Do you want me to come in with you?’ asked Zoe as they came to a stop outside Anna's house later that evening.
Anna shook her head. ‘No, I'll be okay, but thanks anyway.’ She looked towards the house which was in total darkness. ‘Either Mark's not back yet or he's asleep. Either way, I'm glad. I have no intention of getting into a row with him tonight about anything, least of all a divorce.’
‘It's about time you divorced him anyway,’ said Zoe. ‘Neither Nathan nor I can understand why you’ve never pursued it.’
‘I know. I know,’ replied Anna ruefully, well aware how keen they were for her to divorce Mark. ‘It's just, well, it's like admitting you've failed at something. When you get divorced you even get a certificate to prove that you've been a total failure. It's been easier to ignore it than to confront it. Not only that, but I've never felt it necessary.’
‘So you definitely don’t want to get back with Mark?’
Anna shook her head. ‘It won’t work. We’ve tried before but it never has. I don’t know why this time would be any different. I was going to speak to Mark but I wasn’t quite ready. It just sort of came out tonight.’
‘It's amazing what a new love interest can do for you,’ smiled Zoe, ignoring Anna’s protests that Tex wasn’t a love interest nor could possibly be one. ‘Oh look, this must be my taxi. Thanks for tonight. I really enjoyed getting out for a couple of hours, although I am seriously knackered now.’
Fortunately, Mark was asleep on the sofa when Anna crept in and upstairs. As she reached the landing, she could see the flickering light of the TV coming from under the door of Luke's room. Anna gently knocked on the door. No answer. Luke must have fallen asleep watching it. She crept in and switched off the television.
‘I wasn't asleep,’ came Luke's voice, slightly muffled by the duvet.
‘Oh, sorry, I thought you were. Do you want the telly back on?’
‘No,’ said Luke abruptly, sitting up and flicking on his bedside light. ‘Dad said you were out with a man.’
Anna eyed her son carefully. Impossible to tell what he was thinking.
‘What else did he say?’ she asked, giving an inward sigh. Mark had obviously come home and stirred things up already. Luke shrugged. Anna chose her words carefully. ‘I went out with Zoe and we briefly met my boss, his wife, my client and another woman.’
‘Dad didn't seem to think it was just that. I think he was a bit upset to be honest, seeing you with another man.’
‘It wasn't exactly like that,’ said Anna patiently. She sat down on the edge of Luke's bed. ‘You know we’ve always been honest with each other. If there was anything significant to tell you, then I would.’
Luke nodded. ‘I know.’
‘There may well come a time when I meet someone else. I wouldn’t like to think I’ll be on my own forever.’ She rested her hand
‘See, you’re doing it again. You’re avoiding the issue. Avoiding us.’
Anna took a deep breath. ‘There is no “us”. I told you that the other day. Getting back together just isn’t an option anymore. If anything, we should be looking to make our separation official. Taking it a step further. Divorce.’
‘Divorce?’ Mark sat back, as if the word had been spat at him. ‘You want a divorce? Where the fuck did that idea come from? We’ve never talked about divorce before. Never.’
‘Maybe it’s about time we did,’ said Anna carefully. She could see a muscle beginning to twitch in his jaw, tension visible in his neck, spreading down through his shoulders, reaching his hands as he balled and unballed his fists. A familiar sign that an explosion of temper was on the way.
‘No!’ Mark shouted the word. People at a nearby table turned round to look briefly. His next words were quieter but still as forceful. ‘I’m not agreeing to a divorce.’ With that, he stood up and marched out of the pub.
‘Do you want me to come in with you?’ asked Zoe as they came to a stop outside Anna's house later that evening.
Anna shook her head. ‘No, I'll be okay, but thanks anyway.’ She looked towards the house which was in total darkness. ‘Either Mark's not back yet or he's asleep. Either way, I'm glad. I have no intention of getting into a row with him tonight about anything, least of all a divorce.’
‘It's about time you divorced him anyway,’ said Zoe. ‘Neither Nathan nor I can understand why you’ve never pursued it.’
‘I know. I know,’ replied Anna ruefully, well aware how keen they were for her to divorce Mark. ‘It's just, well, it's like admitting you've failed at something. When you get divorced you even get a certificate to prove that you've been a total failure. It's been easier to ignore it than to confront it. Not only that, but I've never felt it necessary.’
‘So you definitely don’t want to get back with Mark?’
Anna shook her head. ‘It won’t work. We’ve tried before but it never has. I don’t know why this time would be any different. I was going to speak to Mark but I wasn’t quite ready. It just sort of came out tonight.’
‘It's amazing what a new love interest can do for you,’ smiled Zoe, ignoring Anna’s protests that Tex wasn’t a love interest nor could possibly be one. ‘Oh look, this must be my taxi. Thanks for tonight. I really enjoyed getting out for a couple of hours, although I am seriously knackered now.’
Fortunately, Mark was asleep on the sofa when Anna crept in and upstairs. As she reached the landing, she could see the flickering light of the TV coming from under the door of Luke's room. Anna gently knocked on the door. No answer. Luke must have fallen asleep watching it. She crept in and switched off the television.
‘I wasn't asleep,’ came Luke's voice, slightly muffled by the duvet.
‘Oh, sorry, I thought you were. Do you want the telly back on?’
‘No,’ said Luke abruptly, sitting up and flicking on his bedside light. ‘Dad said you were out with a man.’
Anna eyed her son carefully. Impossible to tell what he was thinking.
‘What else did he say?’ she asked, giving an inward sigh. Mark had obviously come home and stirred things up already. Luke shrugged. Anna chose her words carefully. ‘I went out with Zoe and we briefly met my boss, his wife, my client and another woman.’
‘Dad didn't seem to think it was just that. I think he was a bit upset to be honest, seeing you with another man.’
‘It wasn't exactly like that,’ said Anna patiently. She sat down on the edge of Luke's bed. ‘You know we’ve always been honest with each other. If there was anything significant to tell you, then I would.’
Luke nodded. ‘I know.’
‘There may well come a time when I meet someone else. I wouldn’t like to think I’ll be on my own forever.’ She rested her hand
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