Stef and Lena are from two different worlds. Stef is a cop who is married to Mike with a son to provide for. Lena is a Vice principal of Anchor Beach Charter School with just herself to look after at home and a school to care for at work. Until the...
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Stef's POV
Its now Sunday and I haven't seen Lena since Friday night. I don't regret anything that happened. In fact I'm still over the moon and wet thinking about it. However there is still the Mike situation, Im still married and if I want anything to come of Lena and I then I need to fix this first. Mike comes home from work in an hour so Im taking Brandon to get some ice-cream before dropping him off at a friends house so its just me and Mike to have this conversation. Nobody wants a young child walking in on that. Poor Brandon, this is going to be tough on him no matter what his relationship is currently with Mike, his family is still about to change forever.
When I get back home I see Mike getting out of his car. Well thats damn good timing I was afraid I'd have to wake him up so we could have this chat. "Mike" I call out since he has completely ignored my presence and just began walking inside. "Can we talk?" I ask to which he slows down and we both take a seat on the front steps of our home that we made together. "Look Mike, things between us they aren't okay, they haven't been for a while, you're not the dad or partner that I want. You couldn't even pick up our son on Friday afternoon from school and you don't give either of us the attention that we need and deserve as people that you love. I know you care for us Mike but maybe its time we go our separate ways? You can still see Brandon and be apart of our lives, but if we keep going the way that we're going we're all just going to end up hurt, more hurt than we already are" I finish what I have to say and turn to see Mike just sitting in silence. Actually he looks kind of drunk so who knows if he actually took in any of what I just said.
"I've been cheating on you..." He finally looks up with a blank expression on his face. What did he just say? "You don't deserve that and neither does Brandon. But you're right you both deserve better. Something that I can't give you. Im an alcoholic and theres nothing more to it. So I've been sleeping around with other alcoholics who make me not feel like a monster"
I take a deep breath trying to calm myself down so I don't shove him down the stairs. "So you've been screwing numerous other girls while still every night coming home to sleep in our bed next to me and in the same house as our son?" Im so furious right now. Its not even like he fell in love with someone else and they're going to go off and live there happy little life together. No, he fucked a number of other girls who meant nothing to him and he isn't even sorry about it. I made out with Lena and I felt guilty about that. Not regretful but guilty. "Pack your stuff and leave" I say before storming back to my car not giving him a chance to say anything.
I drive and I drive and I drive, not knowing at all where I'm heading. Eventually I end up at the one place I actually think I feel safe. Yep Lena....So I walk up and head to the front door before even thinking Im knocking and then wondering what the hell I am doing here. Did I really just end it with my husband and then show up here?
"Stef? Hey, what are you doing here? I mean I'm glad to see you just uh surprised I guess"
I try to get words out I do but nothing seems to be happening, she must notice this and pulls me into her arms giving me so much comfort. Comfort I haven't had in years from another person this close to me. She holds me tight, rubbing my back in a reassuring way I guess. I just can't seem to get words out and then all of a sudden tears start falling from my lifeless eyes. I've never felt this way before and I don't know how to control it.
Lena leads me inside and we end up on her couch, oh that couch has some good memories already if you ask me. "So whats going on beautiful? What happened?" She's so concerned and I feel horrible for just showing up with no warning and looking like a hot mess. We've barely gotten to know each other and I'm about to blurt out this whole fucked up situation to her.
"I don't even know where to start" I blabber out while trying to control the tears falling "I went to end things with Mike this afternoon but I guess he beat me with the big news of him sleeping around with other drunks that he seems to be able to bond with" I just crumble into a ball on her lap and she gently strokes the hair thats fallen onto my face back and out of my eyes.
She takes a deep breath "Honey I can appreciate how that must have been painful to hear but you need to think of the positives in this...you an you're son are free from that drunken man who didn't care about you or Brandon and you're happiness or wellbeing. You two deserve the whole world and more and he just wasn't providing that for you" She pulls me up off her lap and wraps her arms around me in a warm, tight embrace. I've never felt so secure in anybody's arm before, not even on my wedding day.
"What do I do now? I know I planned to do this all this afternoon anyway but I guess now that its done and I was thrown a curveball in the mix I'm just at a loss for the next step" I admit pulling away from her embrace to look into her beautiful brown eyes that just make my heart melt.
She grabs my hand and holds it tightly between hers "You're a strong woman Stefanie Foster and I know you will be able to come out the other side of this and you and Brandon will thrive because of it" She smiles towards me and I just melt back into her arms because all I want is that safety right now.
We stayed in that position for a few hours until I had to go pick up Brandon from his friends house. I was going to see if he could stay there for the night but I knew we both needed each other tonight. Im going to wait until the morning to tell him the news.
***** HOME *****
I get home with Brandon and after dinner and a shower I decide to pop on a movie for the two of us to watch together. As we're watching I notice B grab my hand and hold it tight every so often and can't help but wonder if he's okay. This goes on for the whole movie and when its okay I pull him into my arms and hold him tight. "Are you okay buddy? You seem a little worried" I question as I pull back so I can see his cute little face.
"Dads not coming back is he?" Im taken back a little since I honestly believed he just thought his father was upstairs asleep as usual but obviously he's a little more clued on to the things that are happening around her than I originally thought.
"Oh buddy Im sorry I wasn't honest with you from the beginning of the night....I guess I just wanted to protect you but no sweets he's not going to be around as much but hopefully we can arrange for you to still see him whenever you want" I try to make sure he knows this because I don't want him to feel like Mike has abandoned him and I definitely don't want him to think that any of this is his fault, because its anything but.
He sits up straight in front of me and puts on a big brave stance "I don't think I want to see him. He is never nice to you or me and you're the only one that puts me to bed and reads me stories and you always tell me that you love me. I don't remember the last time I heard him say he loves me."
My heart in that moment absolutely shattered. I can't believe this is how Brandon has been feeling. How could I not have known this is how my little boy was feeling. How could I let someone make my son feel this way. Mike used to be a good man and I honestly thought he was going to be the worlds most amazing dad, I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would ever hear his son say those words about him. "Honey your dad loves you so much and please don't ever think he doesn't. I know he hasn't been all that present with us lately but he never stopped loving you and neither have I" I try to assure him. Mike may have stepped down on the dad front but I don't want Brandon thinking that either of his parents don't love him. No matter what mistakes Mike has made, Brandon will always be his son whether I like it or not and in the reality of it all at some point in my life I picked that man to be the father of my child and thats something I have to stand by. I can still give Brandon the life he deserves with or without Mike.
Brandon looks me in the eyes and I can see he is struggling to keep tears from falling. " As long as you never leave I think we'll be okay" A smile breaks across my face and I pull him into my arms.
