Page 72 of Wild Mistake
“Will you, now?” He smiles and lets out a genuine laugh. “That’s so generous.”
“I do what I can.” I reach for my keys behind the counter and clasp him on the shoulder. “Okay, I’m out of here.” I’m ready to move on to the favorite part of my day, the time I spend with Sarah.
25
SARAH
“Marnie, I’m taking my break,”I say as soon as the lunch rush dies down. We’ve been busy today and instead of baking she came out to wait tables with me.
“Go.” She waves me toward the back office. “I’ve got this.”
I stop by the office to grab my jacket and bag, then head out the back door. My feet ache so I walk out to my car and take a seat inside. Relaxing against the headrest I inhale and exhale, letting go of the stress in my body before pulling out my phone.
I have a couple of missed calls, both from numbers I don’t recognize. I press play on the waiting voice messages. The first is a call concerning my non-existent car warranty. I wish I had a car warranty on this hunk of metal! A laugh breaks through my chest as I delete it and play the second message.
“Hi this is Holly from Hillside Pharmacy. I am calling to speak with Sarah Callahan. We are unable to renew your prescription with the insurance we have on file. Please give us a call at your earliest convenience and we can update the system with your new insurance and get this filled for you.”
I stop the playback.
Shit.
Fuck! Fuck!. Fuck!
I knew it was odd I hadn’t received a reminder to pick up my prescription. But I’ve been so busy, and so wrapped up in Aiden and the boys I put it out of my mind. I pray it’s some silly mix up, but dread takes root in my gut.
Maybe Jake changed the family insurance plan and forgot to tell me. I should have checked in with him sooner.Just like I should have asked him about the status of our divorce filings.I fucking hate that he’s put me in this position.
On a good day, I’m in pain. I can’t imagine what my life would look like without my medication.
Will I have to quit my job at the diner?
If I am even able to go on disability, there’s no way I’ll be granted full custody of the boys. They’re my whole world.
Fuck!
Angry tears well in my eyes. My fingers shake as I tap on Jake’s contact and wait for the call to connect. It rings but he doesn’t answer. He’s probably working, but I don’t care. It’s not my responsibility to make his life easier. Not anymore. I type out a text message that’s direct and excludes my outrage.
Me: Did you get new health insurance?
Jake: No. Why?
Jake: Are the boys okay?
Fury boils beneath my fingers. Jake’s a cheating asshole, but he wouldn’t remove me from our insurance policy while we’re still married. Would he?
Me: They’re fine. I’m trying to refill my prescription.
Jake: I don’t know what you want me to say.
Me: Did you remove me from your health insurance?
Jake: We’re not together. Your healthcare is no longer my responsibility.
If Jake had agreed to mediation, we could be divorced by now. Assets could be split. I might be able to afford a small place of my own and custody would be sorted out. I hate him. I hate what his actions did to our family. How they hurt me, and they’re still hurting me. I didn’t expect him to keep me on his insurance, but we’re not even divorced. He knows about my condition and what my medication means to me.
He doesn’t care.
Of course he doesn’t. He never did. Not when I was juggling dozens of doctors’ appointments and tests and struggling to get someone to take my concerns seriously enough to get a diagnosis. He was like the doctors who didn’t believe my symptoms existed outside of my head.
