Chapter Text
'Stop it, Ariel," she muttered to herself as she wrapped her fingers around the delicate porcelain mug, her heart already racing. She tried her best to keep herself calm but nothing was working.
The car door slammed from outside. Ariel jumped. He’s here.
Her fingers tensed, and the porcelain mug tumbled from her grasp. A sharp, shattering crash rang through the kitchen.
If the jingling sound of keys wasn't enough to alert everyone in the home that Eric had arrived, the sound of their dog Max speeding down the hallway tongue wagging was a good indicator.
"Max! Careful!" Ariel exclaimed. Things were already a mess as it was, she didn't need to add an injured paw to the list.
Eric unlocked and opened the door, his laughter filling the house as the large dog jumped him. "Down boy! Okay! That's enough, Max!" He ruffled the animal's gray and white fur accepting all of the dog's kisses.
He seemed happier today. The typical return home from work, Eric wouldn't say much beyond a short 'hello'. If she was lucky Ariel would get a gentle smile before her husband would disappear into his office for hours on end. By that point, Ariel would be tucked into her side of their bed with Max nestled by her feet. Come morning she would wake up alone. The only sign that Eric was ever in the bed was the slight indentation on the sheets. By that point, Eric would be on his way to work to start the soulless cycle over again.
But today was different and that made everything all the much harder for her.
"Ariel?" Eric called out. They were coming closer. She needed to get rid of this mess.
In her haste, a jagged shard of porcelain pierced her palm, and a white-hot pain shot through her hand. Ariel gasped, jumping to her feet, clutching her palm. Droplets of blood hit the floor mixing with the green tea that was spilt moments before.
"Where are you? I see someone else's car in the driv—" Eric rounded the corner, his smile dropped as he saw his wife huddled near the sink. The faucet was running cold water over her hand as the crimson red blood from her cut started to stain the water and the sink.
"What happened?" Eric jumped to action, grabbing a kitchen towel from the counter. He immediately wrapped her injured hand up and began applying pressure.
Ariel opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.
Eric looked past her at the shattered mug on the tile floor. The brown pieces are surrounded by greenish brown liquid.
She was making tea?
In their house, a freshly made cup of tea was more likely his choice of beverage than for Ariel. Not unless she was stressed.
As for the brown mug. Eric couldn't help but close his eyes and let out a frustrated breath. His mug from Cartagena.
It wasn't supposed to be in the kitchen. He purposely kept it in his library but as the years went on and decided it needed a good cleaning. It must have escaped his mind to separate it when Ariel was doing the dishes.
"I didn't realize until it was your mug until it was too late,"
Eric looked at his wife. Her voice came out small. Her eyes avoided him.
He wanted to say it was fine but he couldn't lie to her.
Eric clenched his jaw. His father’s mug…gone. He wanted to say it was fine to ease her guilt, but he couldn't lie to her .
He swallowed the frustration bubbling in his chest. Later. He could mourn later. Right now, Ariel’s hand was bleeding.
"Sorry Ariel! That was just Pearla and Mala. They wanted an update on everything ." A voice belonging to Ariel's second eldest sister called as it made its way down the steps.
Updates? Eric furrowed a brow looking out from the kitchen, he knew just by the vocal tone alone that it was Indira.
Why was Indira here? None of Ariel’s sisters lived particularly close for a short visit.
Ariel’s posture shifted.
"Hi Indira." he sighed looking over at Ariel whose eyes stayed locked on her hand.
"Eric." Indira's voice shifted from light to a sharp tone. It wasn't that Eric didn't get along with all of Ariel's sisters. They were all cordial with him and some he was even close with, but he couldn’t help but notice they each had started to take a harsher tone with him.
"Ariel, your hand!" Indira pointed an accusatory finger at Eric. “What did you do?”
"Indira. Enough," Ariel spoke, her voice sounding stronger than earlier. " It's fine. I just dropped a mug," She could feel Eric's eyes on her.
"Indira," Eric said, trying his best to bite his tongue at the fact that his sister-in-law bluntly accused him of hurting his own wife. "Can you get me the first aid kit? It's under the bathroom sink." He pulled the kitchen cloth away from Ariel's hand inspecting her wound.
It wasn't too bad. No stitches would be needed, which would save them a hospital trip.
"Oh, that's perfect." Indira smiled and exited the kitchen.
Eric didn’t question the misplaced excitement for grabbing something as menial as a first aid kit. There was no time for that. "I'm going to disinfect it first." Eric guided them near the oven. With his free hand, he flicked on the overhead oven light. " I know you hate pain but I'll make it quick."
Indira entered back into the kitchen with her arm held out holding the blue first aid on top of a manila envelope. "Here you go, Eric."
"Thank you,” He turned and lifted a brow as he eyed the envelope. "What's with the envelope?"
Indira didn't say a word, only continued to keep her stance.
"Indira," Ariel hissed at her sister. "Not like this,"
"Not like what?" He took both of the items, placing the first aid kit on the kitchen counter leaving only the envelope in his hands."What is this?"
The envelope has his name written across the top. It was Ariel's handwriting.
Ariel gently slipped her hand out of his to reapply to pressure herself with the cloth. She turned her back to him; she couldn't bear to see what was coming.
"I'm just serving those…documents. To you. Eric Andersen" Indira replied, her voice wavered toward the end.
Her eyes darted between her sister and brother-in-law. "I believe its time for me to leave." Indira crossed the small living room and gave her sister a sad smile before holding her baby sister's injured hand. “Put pressure on that and you should be fine.”
Ariel nodded. Eric was still near her, staring at a large envelope in his hand.
“Call me if you need anything. ” Indira gave Ariel a strong hug before parting. She gave Eric a small nod before exiting.
“Was Ariel sick? Eric thought. Was Max sick? Was something wrong with the house? They owned it so there shouldn't be an eviction notice. Maybe Ariel was sick and her sister was here for comfort to soften the blow of the life altering news. A lump started to form in his throat, his mind racing a mile a minute. He peeled open the metal tab and slid out the documents. His eyes scanned the text, his heart dropping with every word.
He blinked. No. That can’t be right.
He read it again but the words didn’t change.
Petition Divorce . The header read in bold, black letters.
Eric held his breath as he read the form filled out by his wife. Her handwriting which he loved so much outlined her intent to end their marriage. All the air was sucked out of his lungs. Eric steady himself on the counter forcing himself to take a breath. "Ariel, what is this?" His voice was shaky and as broken as his mug was on the floor.
Ariel closed her eyes, sucking in a similar breath but turning to face him. She straightened up her shoulders and held her head up. If she was going to destroy her marriage in an instant she might as well have some dignity. "I want a divorce, Eric."
Eric looked her over and he swore his life was flashing before his eyes. His married life that is. Every moment passed through his mind. Eric begged himself to see where it all went wrong.
Ariel met his eyes, she wasn't sure what to say next.
She knew he wasn't expecting that ; but how could he? He was hardly ever home and when he was he didn't talk to her.
The first 3 ½ years of their marriage was amazing and she was ready for the rest of her life to be like that with him.
But something changed.
Eric changed and now she was living with a ghost who for the most part didn't even pay her a passing glance.
"Okay." He said quietly.
' Okay. ' Was all Eric could muster. He didn't mean it but he didn't have the energy to fight with her. Fight for them.
He needed to take care of what he could at that moment. Ariel's hand.
Grabbing the first aid kit and Ariel's hand he walked them to the sofa where the living room lighting was better. In silence, he unwrapped the cloth around Ariel's hand and broke out the disinfectant.
Ariel hissed as he worked on her wound. This was painful but she knew it didn't compare to what she had just inflicted on him.
"You could've told me you weren't happy."
"I did." She said, the answer already locked and loaded.
He looked at her with sad eyes.
"And each time," she sighed, shaking her head. "You couldn't be bothered to listen."
They sat in a moderately uncomfortable silence.
She was right. Eric could count on his hands all the times Ariel had brought up an issue between them and each time he would wave it off. The reason was that it wasn't the right time to discuss it and he would promise they would talk about it later. Although later would never come…until today.
He picked up a bandage from the kit and began to wrap it around her small hand. That's when he finally noticed.
This whole time he had been holding her left hand. Her bare left hand.
And on her ring finger was a thin tan line where her ring had been for the last 5 years.
He continued wrapping her hand, his vision getting blurry stinging with tears. He just needed to finish the task. He could fall apart later out of view.
"I just hate how this was the only way….I could get you to finally hear me again ." Her eyes matched his both equally fighting the urge to let the tears fall.
They were both stubborn in that way. Something their own parents would say about them.
Max rounded a counter quietly. Seeming keen to the tense atmosphere.
"I'll take him for his walk," Ariel stood up after Eric finished with her hand, reaching for Max's leash on the coffee table.
"No I will," Eric grabbed the leash before Ariel could. He hooked Max up and they were out the door.
Leaving Ariel alone in the house with a bandaged hand and a shattered heart.
Outside Max ran excitedly down the sidewalk while Eric followed behind holding his leash with a blank expression etched across his face.
He couldn't think. He couldn't talk.
He was just numb .
‘Woof!’
Max's bark spun Eric out of his thoughts. The large dog had found a stick and was walking toward Eric with his newfound treasure.
"Found something you like huh, boy?" He tried to pull a smile on his face.
Eric bent over to hold the stick for Max so they continued their walk with zero distractions when he was overcome with a memory.
The day he had met Ariel.
He was taking a walk with Max along the beach one summer afternoon not far from where he lived now when Max found a stick to play fetch.
"Alright boy." Eric settled himself into a somewhat comfortable position on the sand. "Go get it,"
Max had darted after the tossed stick with quick speed. He loved fetch and could play it over and over again. Until Max didn't immediately return with the stick.
"Max? wher-?". Words failed him as he immediately stood up. Next to Max was a girl.
A girl who looked to be not too much younger than himself with long copper locs and warm brown skin that glowed in the summer setting sun. She was beautiful.
"He's adorable! Is he yours?" She grinned. Little did Eric know that smile was going to brighten his whole life.
After that initial meeting, the girl and Eric spent hours together. He learned her name was Ariel and that she had just been visiting.
He gave Max a hearty meal and extra treats that evening as a 'thank you'. He knew from that moment that Ariel was something special. He knew that he was going to marry her one day.
And he did.
Eric blinked back into reality as Max sat in front of his tail waggy with his head cocked to the side.
He married her and now he was losing her.
"Max um," Eric sputtered, his hand dropping to his side, the feeling of defeat washing over him. He knelt in front of his dog with the full intention of taking the stick and continuing on with their walk but the moment his knee hit the ground, Eric fell apart.
Eric felt pathetic. Here he was in the middle of the sidewalk sobbing into his dog's fur. Max let out a low whine as his owner's tears soaked his fur.
Back at the house, the gravity of everything hit her at once. She clutched her bandaged hand to her chest, as if she could hold herself together. But the weight of it all came crashing down. Ariel sobbed, letting herself finally feel all the anger and pain she’d kept locked up.
She didn’t want this.
She wanted Eric. She wanted him to tell her that they could fix this.
But he wasn't.