Faith leaned back in the bath, the scented bubbles lapping around her breasts.
Candles burned around the edge of the bath, and Carol King played gently on the stereo.
She had poured herself a large glass of red wine. She was making the most of her night off.
************************************************************************
Carol was now singing " You've Got a Friend." Faith leaned over and turned it up.
Thank God for her friends. She'd never had made it through without them.
Of course she'd had to stop Bosco from killing Fred, but he'd been a wonder. She'd seen a whole new Bosco. Jane had been great too.
Bosco and Jane. She hadn't seen that coming. It was a strange combination. Mind you, Jane worked with children and Bosco was one, so it just might work. Faith laughed to herself. Tonight they were going to a vegetarian restaurant. Right about now Jane would be trying to explain why he couldn't order steak. Faith could just picture his face.
It had been a hard road becoming friends with Bosco again, but it had been worth it.
************************************************************************
The last few months had been tough on Faith. Leaving Fred was the hardest thing she had ever had to do, but she had to do it.
She couldn't be that woman. The one living on the edge, wondering if he was going to snap again. The one excusing away the bruises. "I fell down the stairs, I walked into the door."
The one her friends pitied and talked about behind her back.
She knew that she had made the right decision, but it had been hard. Hard on her, hard on Fred and hard on the kids. They had adjusted to the new apartment, and the new flatmate.
************************************************************************
Faith thought back to that night.
She had sat at the subway station for what seemed like an eternity, thinking and not thinking.
She had thought for a long time about where to go.
In the end she had taken a train uptown.
Jane had been shocked to see her at the door, her face swollen and bruised, but she hadn't asked any questions, just gathered Faith in her arms and hugged her tight.
Thank God for friends.
Faith had called in sick the next day. She spent most of the day crying, mourning a marriage she knew was now dead.
Jane had collected some things from the apartment for her.
She had also picked up Charlie and Emily from school and bought them back to her apartment.
It had been Jane's idea that they all move in. Faith had argued with her, but knew that it was a practical solution.
She could never have afforded an apartment on her own, as well as a sitter for the kids each night.
The kids saw Fred every weekend and always came home unsettled and fractious, but Faith could never have denied him time with his kids.
She always avoided him when he picked them up and dropped them off.
Some feelings were just too raw.
************************************************************************
Faith was experiencing a new freedom. She had married young and had kids young. Not that she regretted that for an instant.
But now the kids were old enough to not need her constant attention and things were over between her and Fred, she was discovering a whole new Faith. She was doing things that she enjoyed, doing them because she wanted to. She was finding out new things about herself everyday.
Faith Yokas was embracing single life.
************************************************************************
And what about Sully? Well maybe one day. They were back to being friends, maybe even closer than before, but nothing else right now.
Too many ghosts.
Besides, Faith was enjoying a new relationship, getting to know someone new.
Herself.
Candles burned around the edge of the bath, and Carol King played gently on the stereo.
She had poured herself a large glass of red wine. She was making the most of her night off.
************************************************************************
Carol was now singing " You've Got a Friend." Faith leaned over and turned it up.
Thank God for her friends. She'd never had made it through without them.
Of course she'd had to stop Bosco from killing Fred, but he'd been a wonder. She'd seen a whole new Bosco. Jane had been great too.
Bosco and Jane. She hadn't seen that coming. It was a strange combination. Mind you, Jane worked with children and Bosco was one, so it just might work. Faith laughed to herself. Tonight they were going to a vegetarian restaurant. Right about now Jane would be trying to explain why he couldn't order steak. Faith could just picture his face.
It had been a hard road becoming friends with Bosco again, but it had been worth it.
************************************************************************
The last few months had been tough on Faith. Leaving Fred was the hardest thing she had ever had to do, but she had to do it.
She couldn't be that woman. The one living on the edge, wondering if he was going to snap again. The one excusing away the bruises. "I fell down the stairs, I walked into the door."
The one her friends pitied and talked about behind her back.
She knew that she had made the right decision, but it had been hard. Hard on her, hard on Fred and hard on the kids. They had adjusted to the new apartment, and the new flatmate.
************************************************************************
Faith thought back to that night.
She had sat at the subway station for what seemed like an eternity, thinking and not thinking.
She had thought for a long time about where to go.
In the end she had taken a train uptown.
Jane had been shocked to see her at the door, her face swollen and bruised, but she hadn't asked any questions, just gathered Faith in her arms and hugged her tight.
Thank God for friends.
Faith had called in sick the next day. She spent most of the day crying, mourning a marriage she knew was now dead.
Jane had collected some things from the apartment for her.
She had also picked up Charlie and Emily from school and bought them back to her apartment.
It had been Jane's idea that they all move in. Faith had argued with her, but knew that it was a practical solution.
She could never have afforded an apartment on her own, as well as a sitter for the kids each night.
The kids saw Fred every weekend and always came home unsettled and fractious, but Faith could never have denied him time with his kids.
She always avoided him when he picked them up and dropped them off.
Some feelings were just too raw.
************************************************************************
Faith was experiencing a new freedom. She had married young and had kids young. Not that she regretted that for an instant.
But now the kids were old enough to not need her constant attention and things were over between her and Fred, she was discovering a whole new Faith. She was doing things that she enjoyed, doing them because she wanted to. She was finding out new things about herself everyday.
Faith Yokas was embracing single life.
************************************************************************
And what about Sully? Well maybe one day. They were back to being friends, maybe even closer than before, but nothing else right now.
Too many ghosts.
Besides, Faith was enjoying a new relationship, getting to know someone new.
Herself.