Thank you Terry, careythomas and snow for all your help in editing and improving this chapter. I couldn't have done it without you.
Like almost all of my series, this one will only be understood if you have read the chapters before it. Thank you to my readers for going along this journey with me.
Threading the Needle
Chapter 10
The sunny weather outside wasn't the only thing making it hard for Marika to focus on work. Unlike most people, she wasn't wishing she was out in it. Instead, it irritated her.
"I don't want to be happy," she truculently said to the bright sun in the clear blue sky. "Why don't you rain, so it's easier to feel depressed?" It was hard to keep her mind on her work. The full impact of the pending breakup of her marriage was beginning to hit her. There was no regret for the end of her relationship with Samuel; in fact, it was a relief that he was on an overnight business trip to Portland. "At least I don't have to pretend that everything is normal for one night," she thought.
It was the idea of being a single mother that made her nervous. Samuel might not be a great father, but at least he shared some of the load. As soon as she was ready to kick him out, that would end. No matter what, Samuel wouldn't be there as much. She had no idea if he would want to share custody. His parenting was usually grudgingly given, but that might change if he might lose out on being involved in Kieran's life. She also wondered if he would fight her for custody just to try to hurt her.
"I wouldn't put it past the bastard," she thought viciously. She hated the idea of sharing custody with him. "Losing out on half of Kieran's life because Samuel couldn't keep his dick in his pants is so unfair," she said under her breath. "I didn't do anything wrong!"
Her thoughts turned to Samuel's trip south. Yamile's friend in the police had a connection down there who agreed to take time off and watch Samuel. "I almost don't want to know how bad it is, but if it gives me some leverage then it is worth the pain," she said. The exact amount of revenge she wanted to extract changed from moment to moment, but she knew that she would give it all up in exchange for Samuel going quietly if that was possible.
"What will happen, though, if I get what I want? I make a good living, but I'm not sure how easy it will be to survive on it. And what about time for me?" she thought as she looked outside. "I don't want to lose time with Kieran, but Samuel watching him is the only thing that let me go rafting." She grimaced as she thought about how at least once, Samuel took Kieran along to meet his girlfriend. "It's such a mess."
"Yamile will help, I know, and so will her daughters. They adore Kieran. There is Liz too," she thought, then suddenly broke off.
"God," she said aloud. "I haven't told her. I kept putting it off, but she'll be hurt if I wait any longer." Pulling out her cellphone, she made the phone call. "Hey, can you talk for a moment?" she said when Liz answered.
"Sure. What's up," she said, sitting up in her bed. She didn't get to bed until late, and only woke up a little while ago. Enjoying laying around in bed was one of those advantages her life offered, that and lots of sex. Last night was no exception. She picked up a woman at the same bar where she met Lena a few months ago. It was fun and delightfully free of complications.
She could have been with Lena. She left a message earlier in the day, but Liz ignored it. Things were already more complicated with Indigo than she liked. Unlike many of her hookups, Lena was someone that she saw frequently. Seeing her a lot during the week felt too much like dating. Picking up someone new at the bar was just easier.
"Well, Samuel is out of town tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner," Marika said. It wasn't unusual for her to ask Liz over while Samuel was on the road. They didn't get along well. Mostly it was because of Liz's contempt for him. She found it difficult to hide it around him. Coming over while he was traveling removed that stress.
"Sure, how about I come over around 7?" Liz asked.
"That would be great," Marika said. "Kieran will love seeing his Aunt Elizabeth. So will I. See you tonight."
She ended the call, holding the phone in her hand as she thought about her friend. "I get what Lena and Indigo see in her. She is attractive and alluring, but I don't know how they put up with her. She doesn't have a love life; it's just a sex life," she thought. Especially after finding out the truth about Samuel, she couldn't imagine being with someone like her. Despite being best friends, rafting was the first prolonged exposure to Liz since high school. Normally it was an hour or two here and there. If anything, she seemed worse than Marika's previous impression. "It's always about her, no matter who she hurts." She sighed and went back to lose herself in her work.
With picking up Kieran on the way home, Marika had just enough time to get dinner mostly done before Liz arrived. The risotto was warming and the salad was dressed. All that remained was grilling the pork chops. She left those until the last moment before dinner. "They won't take long," she told herself as she poured a glass of wine for the two of them. Sipping on hers, she watched as Kieran played with his toys in the family room adjoining the kitchen. He looked up every few minutes to see what she was doing and gave her frequent toothy smiles. Once again, it reminded her that, despite Samuel's failings as a husband, she had a lot about which to feel fortunate. Kieran brought so much joy to her life. The worry surged again that Samuel would use him to get back at her.
"That's why I agreed to Yamile's plan, to protect against that," she thought to herself. If it were just her, ending the marriage would be easy. "I know how nasty he can be. I hate needing to be ready to jump down in the dirt with him, but I've got to be ready for that." She heard a car door slam and sighed. For tonight, keeping Liz from blowing her stack was the chore ahead of her.
