Page 4 of The Birchwood House

“He what? He ran off with someone? Who?” Michelle’s voice was almost a whisper. She looked completely stunned.

Audrey grimaced. “Molly Taylor.”

“Molly Taylor? What? She graduated high school just a few years after me!”

Both Audrey and Michelle looked at each other, letting the truth sink in. Then all at once, Michelle started to laugh. She was a little hysterical, Audrey could tell, but a moment later she started to laugh with her.

I guess I’m a little hysterical too,she thought, but it felt amazing to laugh.

“Molly—oh my god, she used to be so annoying.” Michelle shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “She’s got that laugh. She’s always laughing like she wants attention.”

“Well, I guess she got it,” Audrey said, and she and Michelle continued to laugh.

Finally they stopped, wiping tears from their eyes. Audrey’s heart still ached, and she still felt as if the situation had punched her in the gut, but she felt better now that she’d laughed about it with Michelle. It was painful, certainly, but it also had some elements of the absurd.

“What are you going to do, Mom?” Michelle asked softly.

Audrey stared into space, thinking for a moment. She hadn’t even gotten that far, not really. She could do anything, now that her marriage was at an end. What was it that she wanted to do?

“I feel as though I need to get out of this city,” Audrey said, shaking her head. “I’ve been feeling kind of suffocated and restless for a long time. I’ve been slowly admitting to myself that it’s because your father and I have been growing apart. I justkept telling myself that it was normal for the spark to be gone in a marriage that’s lasted as long as ours. I kept telling myself we had loyalty, even if we didn’t have passion anymore. But I guess that loyalty was one-sided.” She scoffed. “I never in a thousand years would have thought that he would do this. But maybe, in the end, this is what I needed too. I need a change, and a fresh start.”

Michelle nodded. They were both quiet for a long time, and then Michelle softly said, “Yeah, me too.”

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry, hon. I’ve made this all about me. What’s your news?“ Audrey wrapped an arm around her daughter. “You said it was something with work?”

Michelle nodded, looking glum. “I lost my job,” she said, her voice barely over a whisper. “I called them out on some of their unethical practices—you know, all that stuff in the fine print about vacation perks not actually being free even though they’re advertised to be—and they fired me.”

Audrey sucked in her breath. Michelle had been working at a travel agency for the past few years, and she’d loved her job. She’d talked often about how much joy she got out of helping people choose the place that best suited their personalities and interests. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I know how much that job meant to you.”

Michelle nodded. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself now. I’ve got that expensive apartment in the city because I didn’t want to have to commute so far to work. Now my lease is ending and I don’t think I want to renew it if I don’t have any reason to be there. No job to commute to means no reason to be living in the middle of all that stress and noise. Can I run away with you, Mom, to wherever you’re going?”

Audrey laughed, knowing that her daughter had meant her words as a joke, but feeling her heart rush with happiness at the thought of it. She loved the idea of herself and Michellestarting over together. “Honestly? As soon as we can figure out someplace to move to, I am more than fine with that.”

Michelle offered her a big smile and then stood up. “Come on,” she said, tugging her mother to her feet. “This night calls for dessert. I’m going to order some brownie fudge explosion ice cream and some strawberry cheesecake.”

“Order? You mean, it will come to the door like pizza?” Audrey was surprised. She didn’t think you could order dessert like that.

“Yup, we should definitely move somewhere together, Mom.” Michelle said. “There are so many wonders of the modern world that I need to show you, clearly.”

Audrey laughed. “I guess so. Are you going to call them?”

“No, I’m going to order on the app on my phone. But while we wait, we’re going to clean up the kitchen and make ourselves some tea.”

Audrey smiled at her daughter, feeling a sweet ache in her chest. It meant a great deal to her that Michelle knew just what would make her feel better.

Half an hour later, they’d finished cleaning up the kitchen, and Michelle had insisted on rearranging some of the décor.

“You’re starting a new life,” she said firmly. “Changing your space will help your mind move forward.”

Audrey nodded, feeling another wave of sadness. She didn’t want to leave behind the home she’d loved, but she knew in her heart that she couldn’t stay there. Not after what Clark had done. And she had to admit that she loved the idea of going somewhere new. For a long time, she’d felt a little stuck, trying to be content with the idea of her life never truly being exciting ever again. She’d expected to wake up and do the same mundane things every day for the rest of her life, all while living with a husband who was acting more distant and preoccupied all the time.

This is a little more excitement than I bargained for,she thought,but at least I won’t feel as alone anymore. Even if I set off totally by myself, I won’t be as lonely as I was in this house.

It had been the absence of Clark that made her feel lonely, since his emotional distance had meant that he wasn’t truly there with her in the way he used to be.

Before long, the dessert arrived, and Michelle and Audrey curled up on the couch together to eat it. Michelle put on one of their favorite comedies and poured them both glasses of wine. Audrey had to admit that the sweetness of the cheesecake and the ice cream helped soften the rawness of her emotions, and spending time with her daughter bolstered her spirits even more.

Late in the evening, Michelle finally left and made her way home, after giving her mother an enormous hug and promising to call her in the morning.