Thanks for your reviews! One chapter after this and then an epilogue.
Love gives you pleasure and love brings you pain. And yet when both are gone, love will still remain.
They settled into a daily routine. Charles worked weekdays and Elsie spent her day working around the house. She had all the rooms scrubbed to perfection and managed to get the marks off the walls. She livened it up with some lamps, rugs, and throws. She hung some pictures and bought a few extra pillows to bring in some color. Her favorite new buy was a double bed spread with a floral design. Charles came home every day after work to a tidy room, a hot meal, and a loving woman waiting for him. It was exactly what both of them needed and craved.
"Alice phoned me at work today." Charles scooped up another mouthful of his steak. "We are to meet with our lawyers tomorrow in the late afternoon."
"Won't you be at work?" she asked wiping some of the sauce off her mouth.
"Well I'm glad to see someone notices I work every afternoon." He was frustrated with Alice. "She seemed to overlook that fact."
Elsie sighed. Alice never seemed to notice anything when it came to her husband, that is soon to be ex-husband. "Don't let her ruffle you. She can be so oblivious."
"I won't. It gives me the opportunity to take a full day off and spend the morning with you." He smiled over at her.
"Well that turned out well for me!" This was a first for her. Someone taking extra time off to spend with her. "What shall we do?"
"Whatever you wish, sweetheart." He cleared their plates from the table. "I would be happy to go out somewhere or happy to stay here. Is there any project I could help you with?"
She thought. "Now that you mention it, I could use some help picking out a new set of dishes. That would save us from killing a forest with all the paper and plastic we have been using."
He smiled. "Of course, Els. We must do what we can to save the environment." She smirked at his sarcasm." And we better start accumulating some more culinary and home decor, as we will probably not be getting any of that from other sources." He was alluding to the fact that both Alice and Joe would get their houses and everything in it.
She nodded her head. There were times when their situation seemed almost unreal. Shopping for new house supplies at her age when she had already done it once. But she was growing more and more comfortable with her new situation by the minute.
"Before I forget, Beryl asked me over for tea tonight." Elsie stood to help him dry.
Charles froze. "But when Alice phoned today she told me to meet her over at Beryl and Bill's. She thought it would be a good time to tell them about our divorce."
Elsie sighed. "Well, you were going to have to tell them at some point." Elsie already informed Beryl about her separation from Joe, though she dodged admitting where she was living.
"I hoped Alice would talk to her alone first and then I could come in after the dust settled. Poor Beryl and Bill, caught in the middle of two divorcing couples." Charles finished washing the last of their utensils.
"You know Beryl lives for drama. Heaven help us if she ever found out about this." She gestured between the two of them. "I don't think I could revive her from the shock. Everyone still thinks we are sworn enemies."
He pulled her back to his chest. "Little do they know our battle flags have been set aside in favor of much more pleasant activities." He leaned his chin down to her shoulder and sucked on her right ear lobe.
She reclined against his frame. "That may be, but we have no time for such activities right now. We are due there in half an hour."
He kissed her cheek before backing off. "Right, you can leave first and I will follow in a few minutes."
She fixed her hair and added a bit of lipstick before grabbing her purse.
"I'll see you later tonight, sweetheart." He kissed the side of her mouth, as not to transfer the lipstick.
"Later tonight? Charles you will see me in less than 15 minutes." She kissed him lightly on the lips, lipstick be damned.
"I know. But it won't be the same." He nuzzled her nose gently. "I love you."
"And I love you, my darling." She pulled away and gave him a last look as she went out the door.
Beryl greeted her with enthusiasm and asked her how she was. For some reason, Beryl expected her to be broken up about this separation when in fact Elsie was the one who started it.
"Tell me, love, are you alright?"
"Yes Beryl. How many times do I have to tell you. I am fine."
"I mean financially Elsie. Do you have your own savings? We could lend you some money if you need it."
How could Elsie be annoyed with such a caring friend. "Thank you Beryl, but really I am fine."
"Really Elsie are you?" Beryl was starting to get frustrated. "Because I know for a fact that bastard Joe will try and take everything and you don't have a means to support yourself. Plus you are not telling me where you are staying!"
"Beryl, please drop it! I am in no mood to argue with you!"
Beryl saw that she was getting nowhere this way. "Well I will stop all this fuss for now. Besides, you will need to save your lungs for later. Charles and Alice are coming."
Elsie tried her best to act surprised. "What? I had no idea."
"Alice said they have some news to share. I sure hope it's pleasant news. Maybe Jimmy was accepted into Oxford at the ripe age of 12."
Elsie couldn't help but giggle at Beryl's quip.
"Hello!" Charles called from the hall.
"We're in here Charles!" she called back. "Now Elsie, please no jabs tonight, hum."
"I promise, Beryl," she assured her. She was so nervous about how this evening would play out that she doubted she would be able to say one word to him.
He walked in the room with Bill following behind him.
"Beryl, nice to see you again." Beryl stood and brought him into a quick hug. "Elsie." he acknowledged her.
"Charles," she nodded back. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard.
"Where's Alice?" Beryl asked looking for her to enter after them.
Charles sighed, preparing himself for the questions. "She should be here soon. We drove separately."
Luckily, Beryl dismissed that fact and they continued with conversation. Alice arrived minutes later.
"Sorry I'm late Beryl, Bill, Elsie. But Alfred was not quite finished with his Science homework. He in charge of his group's next journal project."
"Oh really," Charles jumped in. "What project are they doing?"
"Alfred wants to keep it a secret until it is finished, but let me tell you, you will be shocked!" Alice's enthusiasm reached the ceiling.
"Oh, so you know." Charles stated slightly dejected.
"Of course I know. I am helping him with it." And with that, Alice sat down on the last free chair leaving Charles to sit on the couch beside Elsie.
She scooted over to give him more room, though their legs were still touching when he sat down.
"So what is this news you two have to share with us?" Bill asked, sitting on the arm of Beryl's chair. "Your not pregnant are you?"
"No!" Charles shouted quicker than he should have. He tried to cover for his outburst. "That is actually the opposite of our news."
"Charlie, you needn't put it like that," Alice corrected.
"Well how would you put it?" Charles asked.
Alice looked to Beryl, Bill, and Elsie. "Charlie and I are getting a divorce."
"What?" Beryl erupted. "A divorce!"
Charles continued, sure that Alice would send Beryl into a state if he didn't explain things. "Alice and I feel like we have grown apart. We no longer have the same interests and desires. We both decided it would be best if we get a divorce."
Beryl's mouth was hanging open and she was searching for the right words. "What in God's name is happening? First Elsie and Joe and now you two! I can hardly believe it!"
They were all quite surprised at her accusatory tone.
She tried to correct herself. "I'm afraid I sound rather harsh. I don't mean it, I'm just well and truly stunned!"
Bill stepped in. "What about the children?"
Alice answered. "We talked everything through with them. They are fine with it."
Charles never heard this before. "Wait, you told them without me? Alice, surely that was a conversation I should have been there for!"
Alice stared at him calmly. "Charlie, the opportune moment presented itself, so I told them. As long as they stay in their own home they will be fine."
"Alice! What are you saying?" Charles couldn't believe he was hearing this.
"What do you mean Charlie? We already said I was to get full custody."
"Yes, but we also said I was to get visiting rights and they could spend the night with me once in a while!" He moved to the edge of his chair to say alert.
"Charlie, you are living in a small flat with only one room. How can you care for them properly."
"I intend to buy a house in the near future. Besides the flat is the perfect size for…"
"Charles!" Elsie interrupted, afraid of Charles taking the conversation too far.
Everyone stopped and turned their attention to Elsie. Somehow her hand made it's way to his knee. She quickly slapped it and took her hand back.
"Charles, don't be so loud!"
The interruption brought Charles back from his fume and Elsie's veiled support calmed him.
"I apologize, Bill, Beryl." He sat back in his chair. He saw Elsie leaning forward beside him, certainly downcast.
Elsie was distressed for Charles's sake. She hated to see him so cast aside without a second thought. She knew Alice would be alright, she had her children. She hoped that she could help Charles to be alright.
Beryl interrupted Elsie's thoughts. "Elsie what do you think about all this? You don't seem to shocked."
She popped her head up. "Oh… of course I am surprised… I just relate to what they're going through, that is all. Beryl would you mind terribly if I went home? I am feeling a headache coming on."
"Of course, love." Beryl stood up.
Charles sat up, alert again. "I hope you feel better, Els…ie."
She turned back to address the room, but her meaning only reached one person. "I will be fine once I am home. I am also expecting my Uncle Claude to come home soon and I want to be there for him."
Charles held back a smile. She wanted to be there for him when he got home.
Beryl walked her to the door. "Elsie, I think I will pop over to see how you are doing tomorrow."
Elsie smirked at her. "Beryl, it's no good. I'm not that daft."
Beryl sighed. "Elsie I am worried about the lot of you! So many changes in such a short time. It's like an epidemic!"
"I'm fine Beryl. How about we meet for a late lunch tomorrow and we can catch up then, say 1:30?"
"I guess you will meet me here then."
Elsie hugged her friend goodbye and set off for home.
Charles left about half an hour later, after having another trying discussion with his wife. He was beat and so tired of being ignored.
He was fishing out the keys from his pocket when the door opened for him.
Elsie stood there in her robe and drew him in quickly. Before he could greet her, she pressed her lips against his. There was no urgency, only a slow comforting feeling of belonging.
Elsie pulled her head back slowly and met his eyes. "Hello, darling."
He let out a few breaths before he replied. "Thank God for you, Els. Truly." He pulled her head to his chest and inhaled her scent. His eyes scanned the flat. She lit candles around the entire room and turned all the lights off. The flat looked perfectly tidy with everything in it's place. She put some of his favorite chocolate biscuits on the end table along with a bottle of red wine and two glasses. She knew exactly what he needed. She always did.