Chapter 1: Don't Say Never
Chapter 1:
Sheridan approached the door of the cottage and turned the handle. She stepped inside quietly and immediately she could smell the mint of musk. She hadn’t been to her summer cottage in years, but she had many fond memories here. She looked around the room and everything appeared to be pretty much the same. The furniture was rather dull in appearance, due to its lack of use. Still the room had a sense of warmth and welcoming to it that beckoned her. Two picture frames hang on the wall in the main room and she remembered the day when they had first been hung.
*Flashback*
“Sheridan I think the room looks great, but there is something missing.” Luis told her as he smiled at her fondly.
“What do you mean? I rather like it.”
“I think we should find some paintings or pictures to hang on the right wall over there” Luis said pointing to the wall behind the T.V. and radiator.
“Well” Sheridan said coming up behind Luis and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. “We could always go to an art gallery and buy some nice paintings or perhaps we could just hang up some pictures of us.”
Luis sighed contently and was still was delighted at the fact that Sheridan was his wife. After all they had been through, with the imposter Sheridan’s father and brother had hired and mixed signals between Hank and Beth, he thought they would never admit to each other the true feelings they harboured within. Luis often fantasized about Sheridan and what it would be like to just hold her and kiss her passionately, without anyone around to judge or criticism their union. And finally, he was married to Sheridan and they had bought a house. Their house – which they would share together and someday raise their childen here. He loved the sound of the word – together.
“Luis” Sheridan said breaking Luis’ happy thoughts. “Where were you just now?” She whispered softly in his ear.
“I was thinking about you and how we are finally content.” Sheridan turned to face him and kissed him softly on the lips.
“I love you Luis and I think we should put a picture of us on this wall. To remind each other how much we mean to one another.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me…” Luis said before pulling Sheridan in for a longer kiss.
“How about we concentrate on us for now and decide on what to hang on this wall…”
Luis kissed Sheridan’s neck and lost his speech and he concentrated on pleasing his wife. And from the look on her face he was doing a pretty good job of that.
“Hmm… sounds like a plan, Luis.” Sheridan said softly.
*End of Flashback*
Sheridan starred down at her golden wedding band and tears began to trickle down her cheeks. If only it hadn’t ended this way, she thought to herself. She sat down on the leather couch and looked around the room. All the other rooms were vacant, except for the living room. Sheridan wiped away a few tears with her right hand and starred at the briefcase she had placed on the wooden coffee table. She reached for the yellow manilla envelope and her hands trembled. She took a deep breath and regained her self-control. Sheridan knew what she had to do. The hardest part of all was knowing that after all they had been through, it had to end this way.
She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them slowly as if to reassure herself that this wasn’t a dream. It was real and she wasn’t going to wake up from a horrible nightmare, sweating and gripping the white linen sheets. With one last tear that trickled down her cheek, she bit her lip and picked up the envelope. It was light in her hands and she looked at the tear where she originally ripped it open. She pulled the flap back and pulled the papers out of the envelope slowly.
She focused intensely on the words that appeared on the front page of the documents.
Luis Lopez Fitzgerald has filed for divorce from Sheridan Crane Lopez-Fitzgerald on July 20, 2003
She looked further down at the divorce papers Luis had filed three months ago and stared at his signature for some time. He wanted this shamble of a marriage to be over with. Sheridan began to cry harder and her tears wet the paper leaving their mark. With her right hand trembling she picked up her pen and tried to the sign the divorce papers. Her hand was trembling profusely so she took another deep breath and tried to calm down. After a few minutes, she finished signing the divorce papers and all that remained of a once happy and loving marriage, was the signature of the two participants and some wet blotches from Sheridan’s tears.
To Be Continued…
