Rebuilding After Betrayal

Shaylynn

“Damn it! Where’s my handheld?!” Ugh…the life of a mom is never dull and the chaos never ends…especially when you have two boys!

“Cody! Don’t say damn it! Did you try looking in your backpack? You know, the one I told you to put it in before we left?” His groan has me smiling as I can hear him shuffling through his backpack.

“Oh! I found it!” I roll my eyes, not that he can see me.

“Was it in your backpack?” I smile through the hesitant pause, already knowing the answer.

“Well…yeah?”

How do you rebuild your life after everything falls apart?

I don’t have the answer, but I’m damn sure trying to figure it out.

I’m twenty-nine years old with two sons, Bryce who’s thirteen and Cody who’s six…and I’m going through a divorce that I never saw coming.

Yes, I know I started a family too damn young and maybe that’s part of the problem, or maybe it has nothing to do with it…who knows.

All my friends were outraged when I agreed to the divorce so easily, making no attempt to fight for my nearly ten year marriage.

In my eyes, there was nothing left to fight for, not when he came home and told me he was leaving me for another woman…a younger woman…a woman he had been sleeping with for the last four years…a woman who’s now pregnant with his child…a woman who just so happens to be my younger step-sister.

So, I didn’t fight…I didn’t unleash my anger and hurt on him…or on her.

I simply printed out the divorce papers, signed and filed for primary custody of our sons, which he didn’t even contest.

The worst part is that he actually negotiated down his time with the kids rather than seeking more time with them.

Bryce understands and is currently angry with their father while Cody is struggling to come to terms with our new normal.

This new version of normal doesn’t just consist of their father’s absence, but we’ve also moved to the other side of the city to stay at my father’s beach house with him.

It’s been two months since my divorce was finalized and we arrived at my father’s house less than an hour ago, so I’ve been letting the boys run and play on the beach to stretch their legs before we get into unloading the moving truck.

Seeing them so happy warms my heart and helps numb the constant ache in my soul.

On the outside, I’m forcing myself to be strong, not for me, but for my sons.

On the inside?

Well, that’s a whole other situation entirely.

My emotions and thoughts are a dark swirling mess of chaos and destruction that leave me questioning every good moment in my marriage from start to finish.

“Mom! Look at this cool dog!” I smile at Cody as he sits in the soft sand while a large black lab excitedly licks his face.

“I think she likes you!” I chuckle as I slowly walk toward him to get a better look at the amusing scene.

I scan the beach to see if anyone appears to be looking for the sweet dog and easily spot a man walking down the beach toward us.

He looks to be in his mid thirties with a tall, muscular body that’s covered by a pair of joggers and a tank top, his black hair is bouncing with every step and he has a light stubble lining his jaw.

Once he gets closer, I see his dark blue eyes and, if I hadn’t just gone through a shit divorce, I’d be done for!

He’s absolutely gorgeous, but is definitely the kind of guy that’s out of my league, not that I’m even looking for a guy.

“I’m so sorry about her! I promise she’s friendly!” I look down at the dog who’s practically steam rolling Cody while he tries to pet her.

Yeah, like anyone could mistake her as something dangerous!

“I can see that. It’s no problem, really.” Cody smiles at me then looks at the man.

“What’s her name, mister?” The man flashes a beaming smile at Cody and crouches down so my son isn’t straining to look up at him.

“Her name is Hope and I’m Matt. I live in that house right up there. Are you guys just visiting?” He points to the house right next to my father’s and Cody’s eyes widen almost comically.

“We just moved and live with my grandpa right there. Our daddy’s a worthless, lying bastard so we left his sorry ass.” Cody points to my father’s house, but my focus is on what he said about his dad, something that I’ve never said in front of him, though god knows I’ve thought it…along with much worse.

“Cody Christopher Daniels! Don’t talk about your father that way!” He gives me a look of innocence and confusion.

“But mom, that’s what Bryce told grandpa!” I look at Bryce who shrugs as if it’s not a big deal.

“Don’t look at me like that, mom. He’s a lying, cheating bastard who chose to start a new family with our aunt. You should stop defending him.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and take a deep, calming breath.

“Bryce, please don’t talk about him that way and especially not in front of your brother. I know you’re mad and you have every right to be, but he’s still your father.” He rolls his eyes and starts walking back toward the house.

“I’m going to start unloading the truck.” I give Matt an apologetic smile as Cody stands up and brushes the sand off his shorts.

“I’m so sorry. He’s having a hard time with everything and is just so angry right now. He really is one of the sweetest kids normally.” Matt waves off my apology, his brilliant smile taking over once again.

“I get it. His anger will fade, just give it time. If you guys ever need anything, I’m right next door.” I suddenly feel embarrassed, realizing I never made introductions.

“Oh, I’m Shaylynn, but everyone calls me Shay, this is Cody and the angsty teen is Bryce.” He chuckles and glances up where Bryce had walked off then back at me.

“It’s nice to meet you all. Did you need any help moving your stuff into the house?” I feel strange accepting help from a man I just met onbeach, but I don’t even get a chance to answer before my dad’s voice cuts through the air.

“Shay! You better get up here before Bryce fills that damn swear jar!” I shake my head and sigh.

“We’re coming, dad!” Just as I attempt to politely decline Matt’s offer, he hooks a leash to Hope and leads her back to his house without another word.

I shrug it off, take Cody’s hand and head back to the house to find Bryce has already unloaded about a third of the truck.

“Mom, why do we have so much crap?!” I try not to laugh at him, but fail miserably.

“Bryce…you do realize that most of those boxes, or the crap, as you called it, are yours and Cody’s, right?” With a loud groan, Bryce heads back out to the truck while I start sorting the boxes in the living room and moving them to the appropriate rooms.

When I return to the living room for the next box, I see Matt walk in with two boxes stacked in his arms and I try not to stare, but I hadn’t expected him to just show up.

As he sets the boxes in the space I point to, I notice heavy scarring on his right leg beginning mid-calf and disappearing up underneath the basketball shorts he’s now wearing.

I would never be so brazen as to ask about the cause of it, but it certainly does have me wondering.

After several trips and Bryce surpassing his quota of random slips of profanity, the truck is finally unloaded and most of the boxes are put where they belong.