The Hidden Room

by C S Joseph

  “Reese, I have to tell you something. Caitlyn was out for lunch and saw Aiden with a woman. She took photos. You have what you need to get divorced!” Julia exclaimed.

  Reese felt suddenly overwhelmed. “It’s not that simple Julia. I’ll handle my own marriage. I appreciate you both trying to help, but I need to handle this on my own. We’ve talked about this. Wait, you talked to Caitlyn?”

  “I know. I just wanted you to know. If you want to be free of him, you can be. And yes, we had dinner to go over the photos and to talk. We’ve agreed that we want to be friends. She knew she would never be able to compete with you. I’ve always liked her. She’s funny, and I can talk to her about stuff. She’s a good person, and she wants to help us. I get that this is all overwhelming for you. We now have an option, if you want to take it. I’ll let you go, so you can take some time to think.”

  “Wait, before you go. Thank you for the necklace. I just saw it in the closet. It’s beautiful. And I loved your note. We can talk tomorrow, okay?”

  “Yes, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “I love you.” Reese’s heart sped up as she said it. She meant it, but she still felt guilty for saying it while being married to someone else.

  “Love you too. Call me when you’re ready to talk.”

  Reece needed time to absorb this new information. She would start to formulate a plan, and they would be able to refine it together. For the first time, Reese realized that she could like Caitlyn. “I’m glad you two are going to be friends. Let her know that I appreciate her wanting to help me. Goodnight.”

  “Night.”

  †

  The contact was highlighted on her phone. Reese pressed the name and held the phone to her ear. “Hello? Mother?”

  “Reese, comment ça va, darling?”

  “Ça va, bien.” Formalities. She had to do this dance so that Helena would be more open to what she was about to ask her. She hoped that her French wasn’t too rusty.

  “Je suis si heureux, c’est excellente.” Her mother was happy. Reese had placated her enough, and now she could get down to business.

  “Mother, I need to talk with you about something. I need to divorce Aiden. I am not in love with him, and I will not go on living like this anymore. It’s my life and Zachary’s life, and he deserves a mother who is happy. I can’t give that to him with Aiden. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I need to be free of this man. I’m sorry. I know you’re disappointed in me, but I’ve given this my best effort. If it helps, I have photos of him with another woman.”

  “Reese, darling. Calm down and take a breath. That won’t be necessary.”

  After a deep breath, Reese continued, “Mother, I’m in love. I’m in love with someone who makes me so happy and treats me the way I should be treated. I want to be with that person.”

  “You know, my dear, Julia Porter is a very lucky woman to have won your heart.”

  “What? I didn’t… How did you know?”

  “I am your mother. I always know what is going on in your life, whether you think I pay attention or not. I want you to know that I will take care of Aiden for you. It will take some time to get him to agree to terms, and we’ll need to get everything filed with the courts before your divorce is final. I do need to know if this is truly what you want. Are you ready to tell Zachary that you are going to divorce his father?”

  “Yes. He has never had a very close relationship with Aiden, as you know. Julia came here to visit and help with the house. I almost think he misses Julia more than I do.”

  “I’ll be in Portland for a few days. I would like to come and visit you and Zachary. Will you be home this weekend?”

  “Yes. We would love for you to visit.”

  “I’m actually about an hour away from your location. I was going to surprise you. I suppose I still have an inkling when my daughter needs me. I will see you soon, ma chère.”

  Reese said goodbye and looked around. The living room wasn’t complete, and she still wanted to do some testing on the large stain under the carpet. The yard was in decent condition, but not up to her mother’s standards. She put the phone on the table and took a cleansing breath. She looked at the clock. It was time to pick up Zachary from school. She grabbed her keys and walked out to her car. Perhaps, she and her mother could do some gardening. That would keep her out of the house as much as possible.

  As ridiculous as it was, Reese was embarrassed to have her mother see her living in such disarray. She’d started to drive when it hit her. Mother knows how I feel about Julia. Her mother was being supportive of her getting a divorce, without an argument. She’d even said she would take care of things. That was not how her relationship with Helena Iverson had ever worked. There was always a higher expectation of her, always something Reese could do better. Not exactly supportive, always just shy of it. Usually, there was a critical edge. Reese suddenly felt off balance.

  She pulled up to the school, as Zachary ran to the car and climbed in the front seat. “Hey, Mom. Can I call Jules when we get home?”

  “Well, Grand-mère will be at the house shortly. She is on her way for a visit. You may call Julia before you go to bed.” Reese kept her eyes on the road. She smiled at the idea that, soon, she could go home to Julia.

  Reese was downstairs opening the front door for her mother when she heard Zachary. “One moment, Mother.” She called up to him, “Zachary, your Grandmother is here.”

  The corner of Helena’s mouth started to curl, as Zach appeared at the top of the stairs. She held out her arms, and he ran the rest of the way. They embraced for a moment, then he stood back and straightened his posture. She inspected him and nodded her approval. “You are such a handsome young man.”

  Zachary smiled. “I’m glad you’re here. Mom and I miss you.”

  Helena leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “I’ve missed you too. Hopefully, you and your mother can come visit me in France over your winter break from school. How would that sound?”

  Zachary looked at Reese.

  “Mother, I don’t know if that will be in the cards.” She looked at Zachary’s disappointment. “But we’ll discuss it.”

  “Excellent!” Helena looked around the foyer. Reese showed her the rest of the house, apologizing often for work that had yet to be completed. Helena didn’t seem to mind at all, as though the house was an insignificant detail rather than her daughter’s new home. Reese served tea, and they settled at the dining room table with casual discussions on Zachary’s life and stories Helena shared about her latest tour through Switzerland and Italy.

  Zachary was starting to look glazed over. Reese knew he would never tell his grandmother that she was boring him, but she could see it on his face. “Would you like some more tea, Mother?”

  “I would, but I can get it myself, dear. I’ll be right back.” Helena headed into the kitchen.

  “Zachary, why don’t you go up and play some video games for a bit. I know Grand-mère is a little long-winded.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. Go on.” Reese held her hand up as he passed by. He gave her a high five and yelled to his grandmother that he would see her in a little bit, then ran up the stairs.

  †

  Helena returned with the pot and filled both cups. She sat down and quietly watched her daughter. Reese took a sip of her tea and set it back down on the table. She ran her finger along the gold inlay at the edge of the floral pattern. Reese bit her bottom lip and stared into her cup. Her hands were moving along the top of the table, as she drew patterns with her fingertips. She took a deep breath.

  “I just don’t know where to start.” She released a breath.

  “The beginning is a good place.”

  “I was surprised at your reaction, when I told you that I wanted to divorce Aiden.”

  Helena noticed the curiosity in the tilt of her daughter’s head. “What was so surprising? You know that I can barely stand the man.”

  “But I thought y
ou expected me to uphold my duties as an Iverson.”

  “I most certainly do. However, I may be a bit more relaxed about your marital state at this point in time.”

  “What changed?”

  Helena paused for a moment, trying to figure what she wanted to say. She did not want to let Reese know about the financial disaster her husband had created with the foundation, just yet. “Well, in life, you learn that there is a time for everything. You have suffered enough, my dear.”

  “I can’t disagree with you there.” Reese gave a small chuckle.

  “Reese, I thought things would get better with Aiden if you just gave the marriage an honest try. Your marriage and how that looked to everyone outside the family was important. It took me a long time to realize that, no matter how hard you try, sometimes it is just not right for certain people to be together forever.”

  “I just never thought it would turn out like this. I thought that being married would be better for Zachary, but I know now that isn’t the case. It just doesn’t work with Aiden. I’d forgotten what a healthy relationship is like. The kind of life we have with Aiden doesn’t compare to the life we could have with Julia.”

  “Is that what you want? To spend your life with Julia?”

  “I want the opportunity to find out. She came to visit us for a couple weeks, and I caught a glimpse of how well we work together. I can’t go on in this life, knowing what we are missing.”

  “And what is that exactly?”

  “In a word? Love.” Reese paused. “Aiden doesn’t love us. We are status symbols to him. Perhaps he loves Zachary in his own way, but he certainly doesn’t love me. I can’t live the rest of my life being treated like a trophy. I want to work, be the best mom to Zachary I can be, and have someone who appreciates me, all of me.”

  “Are you sure that she really does appreciate all of you? I know she’s your best friend. Moving into a more romantic relationship brings along different problems, different issues. I was very much in love with your father. After we were married, things changed. I still loved him, just in a different way.”

  “I’m sure that she respects me. I’m sure that she would agree with me working. I’m sure that she’d never move me out to the middle of nowhere to control me. Julia knows me better than anyone ever has, and she still loves me. That’s all I need to know. No relationship is easy. They all have problems, but we love each other enough to work on it every day. I know, with her, I’ll have true commitment.”

  Helena smiled at her daughter. “How is Zachary handling all of this?”

  “He tried to help set us up.” Reese said matter-of-factly.

  “Really?” Helena raised her eyebrows.

  “Yes. He loves Julia, and he has a bond with her that he’s never had with Aiden. Aiden is too busy thinking about himself to form a bond like that with Zachary. Julia really loves my son and would make sacrifices if it would benefit our family.”

  “I think it’s time for my daughter to have some happiness in her life. Julia Porter is an outstanding woman. Her work consistently impresses me.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” Obvious pride pulled her shoulders back and pressed her chest forward. ”Your approval really does mean a lot to me.”

  “You don’t need my approval, dear. You know that I think love is rarer than the world lets on. People are filled with lust, the thirst and hunger for someone. Love is not the same as passion. I’ve seen how she looks at you. The lust and passion are there. However, there is something deeper. You look at her the same way. I couldn’t be happier for the both of you.”

  “I’m happy that I know for sure how we feel about each other. Now I have to work it out so that we can finally be together.”

  “Well, we can work on that.”

  “You said earlier that you’d handle it. What did you mean exactly?”

  “Ah, we are having such a wonderful time. Let’s not ruin it with legal issues. Just know that I will have an attorney look over the original agreement and what that would mean for the foundation and your assets. Also, a custody agreement will need to be decided on.”

  “Not to be impatient, but could we expedite this process? As you said, I’ve suffered enough.”

  Helena laughed at the smirk on her daughter’s face. “We shall see. Now, tell me about Julia’s visit.”

  “It was amazing.” Reese grinned. “We had so much fun just doing normal, everyday tasks together. You should have seen how she and Zachary interacted. I loved having her with me so much.”

  “It is very touching to watch someone love your child.”

  Reese started to laugh. “You know, the other day, we had gone to the store. As we were leaving, Julia hoisted me into a shopping cart, and she and Zachary pushed me around the parking lot.” Reese gestured wildly, as she described the shopping cart ride and tickle torture she endured at the end. Helena wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

  “Oh my, I don’t know when I’ve laughed so hard. Are you sure this is what you want? It seems that you will be a little ganged up on.”

  “Julia brings out my playful side, and it makes Zachary so happy that I don’t really feel ganged up on. Besides, I have my ways of keeping things under control.” Reese stopped and looked at Helena with wide eyes. A blush crept up her cheeks, and Helena raised her eyebrows.

  “Is that right? Do tell, darling.”

  “A lady never kisses and tells.” Reese smiled shyly.

  “Kissing? Now, you must!”

  “There were a few kisses”—Reese huffed—“but we are not going to take it any further until I am divorced.”

  “I’m not a prude. I don’t care about the waiting part. I’m curious about the kissing part.”

  “What are you curious about?”

  “She didn’t just sweep you off your feet because she’s great with your son. You’re different than the last time I saw you. Lighter. Those kisses must really have been something. I’m curious as to how they made you feel.”

  “I’ve never felt so much in a kiss before. It’s difficult to put into words. I’ve never felt so loved, cherished, and on fire all at the same time.”

  “Women are much more emotional to kiss.”

  “You speak from experience?”

  “As I said, my darling, I am not a prude.”

  “I would expect nothing less.” Reese chuckled.

  “The weather is pleasant today. Perhaps we can walk around the property for the afternoon. We can have dinner before I go to my hotel for the evening.”

  “That’s a delightful idea. I’d love to show you the property and my ideas for the improvements. Maybe you’ll have some ideas also.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Mother, this conversation was just what I needed. You allowed me to express myself without interrogations or judgment. I’ll have to be careful. I might just let my guard down around you.”

  †

  The next morning, Reese dropped Zachary off at school and returned to the house. When she pulled up to the driveway, she saw Aiden’s car. The time had come. She was going to have to tell him that she wanted out of their marriage. She wanted it to be over. She walked into the house, and he was sitting at the table, having tea with her mother.

  “Darling, I was just about to go walk around the property again. It’s a beautiful morning. I know you haven’t seen your husband in a while. I’ll leave you to it.” With that, she got up from the table and left the room.

  Aiden walked over to give Reese a hug. He kissed her on the cheek. “Reese, we need to talk about a few things. I tried calling, but this needs to be talked about in person.”

  “Good, I need to talk to you about some things as well.” She got a closer look at him, when they sat down at the table. He looked defeated and tired. She felt badly for him.

  “The house looks great so far. I knew you’d be able to transform this place into something beautiful. You’ve always turned everything you touched into something beautiful.”

  She
looked at him and smiled. For a moment, she wished she didn’t have to say what she was about to say. She leaned into the discomfort. “Aiden. I want a divorce.” The words lingered in the air for a few moments. His eyes dropped, as did his head.

  “I know you do. I do too. I did want to work this out with you. I love you. I really do, but I can’t live like this anymore. I can’t be the last person in your life that you consider for anything. I gave you the best parts of me. You just didn’t love me. I’ve found someone who loves me, and it feels so good. I know that I shouldn’t have cheated on you. Ever. No excuses. In the moment, it didn’t feel like cheating. It felt like I was getting what I was owed. Sounds bad coming out of my mouth now. Her name is Janice. She’s pregnant. That’s part of what I’ve been doing in Portland, figuring out what I’m going to do with another child.”

  Reese was a little stunned by the incredible honesty. For the first time in their marriage, Aiden Davis was actually talking to her. “I knew you were cheating for years. I never said a word. I’m sorry that I got wrapped up in just being neutral. I think I was just content to be Zachary’s mother. I didn’t know how to talk to you about what I was feeling. I’m not even sure that I knew what I was feeling. I’ve fallen in love with Julia.”

  If the words stung, he didn’t let on. “Well, what do we do now? Zachary is going to be a brother. I know we don’t have the best relationship. I gave up, because he’s yours. I felt like an intruder anytime I tried to parent him. I want to change that. I don’t know how. I want him in my life. I don’t know what a schedule looks like, but every other weekend would be amazing. I don’t want to pull him from house to house during the school week.”

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  “Yes. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, Reese. It’s what I must do for him. Maybe he’ll see that or even understand it one day. He’s a good kid. Maybe this will help me learn how to be a better father to him, without you around.”

  “So, we’re getting divorced?”

  “Yeah, I suppose we are. Just don’t write a book about it.” She laughed. He joined in and looked over the table at her. “You know, I think we can make this pretty amicable. I have other skeletons in the closet. I am trying to be a better man. I want to be the man that Janice loves. Over the years, I became someone I barely recognized. I’ve done some pretty horrible things. Not like hurting anyone or anything like that. Just bad financial decisions. I’ve decided that I’ll sign whatever will get us out from under the prenuptial agreement. Contracts are made to be broken, aren’t they?”