This wasn't unusual. In the past, no matter what sparked a fight, she'd storm out. Sometimes for a day. Sometimes two or three before she came back.
She'd block every line of communication, so emotionally volatile it was maddening.
To hold this family together, I'd walked on eggshells, terrified of setting her off over the smallest thing.
Even the intimacy between husband and wife, I'd held back again and again.
But tonight, the moment she walked out that door, I blocked and deleted every contact method first.
Go after her?
Not a chance.
Let's see which came first: her crawling back to sign the divorce agreement, or a court summons landing in her hands.
Shortly after she left, I woke the child.
I knew the kid was innocent, but the moment I'd learned the truth, I couldn't stand the sight of him.
There was no way I could keep pretending nothing had happened and raise another man's child.
I held my emotions in check as best I could, made up an excuse, and drove the boy to his grandmother's house in the middle of the night.
My mother-in-law asked, "Logan, the boy has school tomorrow. What are you doing dropping him off in the middle of the night?"
I didn't say a word. Just left a copy of the paternity test report behind.
Tonight, the Walker household wouldn't be a peaceful one.
Early the next morning, I'd barely gotten up when I found Lois already busy in the kitchen.
Seven years of marriage, and this was the first time I'd ever seen her cook.
When she set breakfast on the table, it was clear this was far from her first time at a stove.
The only question was who she'd been showing off her cooking skills for before. The spread looked restaurant-worthy.
She was wearing an apron, sitting at the dining table waiting for me, but I never sat down.
After washing up, I placed the divorce papers on the table.
She grabbed my hand. "Honey, aren't you going to ask where I was last night?"
"I only care about where the woman I love goes. You're not her."
Tears started falling. She cried silently, and admittedly, she did look pitiful.
That used to work on me. Now I felt nothing.
"Do we really have to get divorced?"
"Yes."
"Honey, I went to my mom's place last night. When I got back late, my dad just suspected we were having problems and nearly had an episode."
"If he finds out we're getting divorced, his body won't be able to take it."
"How is that my problem?"
"How can you be so cold-blooded?"