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The rain was coming down steadily through the dark night sky. The lights of the city seem duller tonight, the air seems colder. The house is uncomfortably quiet. Timothee pulled himself out of his bed and walked across his bedroom. He opened his dresser drawer, digging through the unfolded laundry that he had just tossed in there. Beneath everything he found the picture frame, face down at the bottom of the drawer. He pulled it out and walked over to his bed, setting the framed photo on his night stand facing the bed. He climbed back in the bed and dug around under, pulling out a box.
He sat for hours reading over old love letters, talking to the photo next to his bed. Pulling a small box out of the mess of memories, Timothée opened it and looked down at the two wedding bands sitting in the box.
He pulled out his wedding band and slipped it on his finger. Taking the other out of the box he stares at it for a long moment before flinging it across the room. “So much for forever.” He says as he hears it clatter down the hall.
He stood from the bed and walked over to the closet and opened it, looking over the few items left on the opposite side of the closet. He pulled out a red lingerie nighty. He ran a hand over the silk and lace remembering when he surprised her with it. He’d just gotten back from a work trip and gave it to her after dinner with roses and champagne. He closes his eyes remembering how amazing she looked every single time she put it on for him.
He tossed the garment to the floor and crawled back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the rain falling against the window. He was twirling his ring on his finger deep in thought when the sound of knocking on his front door pulled him from his concentration. He pulled himself out of bed and to the door.
He looked through his peephole and hurriedly opened the door. “Y/N, hey.”
His ex stood at the door with a small smile. “Hi Tim.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to get that box I left here.”
“Oh, right.” He said moving aside for her to walk into the apartment. “I put it back here.” He said walking towards the hallway closet.
“Is it just the one box left?” She asked as she took the box from him and placed it on the floor.
“I think so. Oh, and this bag.” He hands it to her.
As she took the bag she noticed the ring on his finger. He quickly pulled his hand away, scratching the back of his head. “That should be it.” He told her, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Tim,” She spoke with an exhale.
“So,” He cut her off. “I’ll see you at the attorney’s office tomorrow.”
She tried to read his face but couldn’t make out what was going through his mind, but he shut himself off too much when it came to her. “9 am.” She told him with a gentle smile. She turned to grab the box from the floor when something caught her eye. She reached, grabbing the shiny object from the corner of the hall realizing when she picked it up that it was her wedding band. She turns back to Timothee. “Why is this on the floor? I thought it was packed away.”
“No reason.” Timothee grabbed it from her hand, shoving it in his pocket. “I’ll see you in the morning to sign the divorce papers.” He placed his hand on her back, attempting to usher her out of the apartment. She looked back and saw all the stuff out on his bed along with their wedding picture in the broken frame on the nightstand. She walked past him and into the room. “Hey, you can’t do that!” He follows her, grabbing her arm. “You can’t just walk through my place and do what you want anymore.”
She pulls her arm from his grasp and walks into the room and stands next to the bed. “Why are you looking through all of this?” Timothee says nothing, he just stands there with his hands in his pockets. “Timmy, why are you doing this to yourself?” She exhales.
“I’m not doing anything to myself, Y/N.” He sits on the edge of his bed, his hands in his lap. “I’m reminding myself that it wasn’t all bad.”
“What?” She sat next to him.
“Y/N,” He closes his eyes and lets out a breath. “I- I don’t want to hate you. I don’t want to get to a point where thinking of you makes me bitter because you wanted a divorce.” He looks at her. “So I look through this stuff sometimes when I feel like I want to be mad at you and I remember that we were good at one point.” He reached, picking up an old photo from the pile on the bed. “I remember that we used to make each other look like this.” She looked down at the photo of the two of them wrapped in the other’s arms, huge smiles on their faces.
‘I remember this day.” She smiled. “You’d just left an award show and instead of going to an after party you showed up at work and we had dinner in the worker’s lounge.”
“Your manager walked in on us making out.” Timothee chuckled, taking the picture and placing it in the box.
She watched him as he placed the letters and other pictures in the box. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Timmy.” He looked back at her.
“I’m sorry I hurt you.” He reached, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“You understand why I had to call it,” She placed her hand on his. “Right?”
He nodded his head, looking down at her hand between his. “You think if I wouldn’t have left to go to LA that day, if I would have stayed and not run when it got bad,” He looks up at her. “Would it have made a difference?”
She shrugs. “It’s hard to say. We were already arguing everyday at that point.”
“Maybe we got just married too young.” Timothee told her, his head hanging low.
“Tim, don’t sit here over analyzing woulda, coulda, shoulda. What’s done is done.” Timothee pulls out her wedding band from his pocket and looks at it in his hand. “Your resurrecting memories of a love that's dead and gone.”
“It’s not though.” He shifts a little. “Not for me.” He tosses her ring into the box. He looks up, meeting her eyes. “I’m never gonna not love you, Y/N.” He pulls his ring off and tosses it in the box as well. “I guess that's just my burden to bear.” He stands walking away.
She reached a hand, grabbing his wrist. “You think that I don’t love you?” She drops his hand and he stands there.
“We’ve been separated for a year. We sign divorce papers tomorrow. A divorce you filed for. You left not me.”
“I just wanted the fighting to stop.” She shook her head looking down at her hands. “You were always gone and you always had something new going on. Even when you were home it was like you weren’t the same Timmy anymore. No matter how much I tried to talk to you, you just didn't have time to hear it.”
He sits next to her keeping his hand in hers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to be a husband and be this IT guy. Everyone wanted a piece of me. No one tells you how to handle it when you have no way to regulate your life. But you’re right,” He places his hand on her cheek. “I should have put you first no matter what. You should have always been my number one. I’m sorry I made that mistake.”
She sniffled, looking down at her hand in his. “When did you get so mature?” She gave a soft chuckle. She looked back up at him, growing serious again. “I do still love you, Timmy.”
Tears rose in her eyes as he leaned his forehead on hers. “Shh, it's okay.” He whispers. “It's okay. Don’t cry, angel.” He tilts his head forward slightly, his nose gently brushing against hers. “Don’t cry.” He whispers again, his lips barely brushing against hers.
The kiss was gentle, like the wind on a warm summer evening. His hand came to her cheek as Timothee leaned in adding pressure, urging the kiss to go further. Feeling his hand slide to the back of her neck she felt the way he held her in place, the way he savored her kiss.
“Tim,” She pulled away his lips following hers, pressing another kiss to her mouth. “I should go.” She pulled away.
“I’m sorry.” Timothee left his hand on the back of her neck. She opened her eyes and looked into his. “No, I’m not. I’m not sorry, Y/N.” He looks down into her eyes. “Call it off.” He tells her, bringing his other hand to her face. “Call off the signing tomorrow. Let's fix this.”
“Timmy, don’t.” She pulls away with tears forming in her eyes.
“Don’t what?” He asks as she stands and makes her way to the door. “Fight for us? Put all I have into making this work?”
She turns back looking at him. “You should have done that before.” She told him before walking out of the door.
Timothee doesn’t sleep that night. He drinks several glasses of whiskey and stares at the wedding photo album with tears pouring down his face. He was finally, after a year, letting himself mourn the loss of his marriage.
He sleeps less than four hours and drinks a venti latte from Starbucks with two extra shots. He walks into the attorney’s office and sees Y/N already sitting there with her attorney on one side of the table, Timothee’s attorney sitting next to an empty chair on the other side. Timothee gives a polite nod to Y/N as he sits next to his lawyer.
“So, the two of you are in complete agreement?” A judge walks in, taking a seat at the head of the table, looking from Timothee to Y/N. “Division of assets, property, all settled?” She opens the folder looking over the papers. “and there are no minor children involved, correct?”
“That will be correct.” Y/N’s attorney spoke.
“All agreed, here as well.” Timothee’s attorney spoke.
“Alright, well then all that’s left is for the two of you to sign here.” The judge slid the paper across to Timothee. “Sign beneath your name.”
Timothee looked down at the document of divorce in front of him. He picked up the black pen and clicked it looking up at Y/N across the table. He opened his mouth to speak then closed it, scribbling his name across the page. He slid the page across the table and Y/N picked up the pen. She looked up at Timothee and furrowed her brow before looking back down to the paper, signing her name and sliding the paper away.
The judge took the paper and grabbed the pen. “I’ll sign and it will be done. You’ll officially be divorce and can move forward.” The judge put the pen to the paper.
“WAIT!” Timothee and Y/N shouted in unison as they stood from their seats, the judge jumped, dropping the pen.
Y/N and Timothee both looked and one another across the table. “This is a mistake!” Y/N said to the judge then looked back to Timothee. “You swear it will be different?” She asked Timothee.
Timothee jumped over the table, sliding across slightly, landing with his feet on the floor next to Y/N. “The only thing that didn't change was how much I love you.” He pulled her into a deep kiss. “I love you so much.” He tells her breathlessly.
“I love you, too.”