The Man I Carried

My first thought was that Jonathan had really thought this through. He was given five grand a month with room and board included. He could go out whenever he wanted without even checking in.

If this were a training case on marriage scams, it would definitely qualify as a textbook example.

On the other hand, Millie was so furious that her eyes were brimming with tears. "Mom, he treats you like a cash cow! What is wrong with you? Why are you just standing here? You're so oblivious it's hopeless!"

I walked up behind Jonathan and tapped him on the shoulder. His body went rigid. So did Sandra's. However, they still seemed to think I hadn't heard a word they'd said.

Millie spoke before I could. "Someone's daughter has a birthday today, but instead of showing up, he ditched her to bring another woman to an amusement park. Does that sound reasonable to you? Then again, why am I surprised?

"That someone's never celebrated my birthday with me even once for the past 10 years."

Jonathan frowned immediately. "Millie, is that any way to talk to an adult? Where did you learn all that sarcastic nonsense?"

He quickly turned to me, his expression softening as he took my hand.

"Honey, don't get the wrong idea. I was planning to spend today with Millie, but Sandy called me this morning. She said she started thinking about her ex-husband again and couldn't stop crying. Sandy's your client, and she just got divorced. I was only keeping her company."

As he spoke, he gently rocked my hand. "Honey, you're one of the best divorce attorneys around. You know better than anyone how much some women suffer because of their exes. You're not going to be mad at me over this, are you?"

Jonathan had always been good at this. He was handsome, so all it took for him was to slightly droop the corners of his eyes to make himself look the innocent lamb.

Back when we were dating, he'd never argue or make excuses whenever he made a mistake. He'd just take my hand and give it a little shake.

"Babe, you're so smart. You wouldn't hold it against an idiot like me, would you?"

Every time he looked that adorable, I couldn't help but smile.

Sandra chimed in from the side, "Nancy, don't misunderstand. I was just feeling awful because I started thinking about my ex, so I asked Jon to keep me company."

I nodded, but something still didn't sit right with me.

Jonathan's earlier words kept echoing in my head. "You're a lot better than the witch waiting for me at home."

Before I could collect my thoughts, Jonathan leaned over and kissed my forehead. "Honey, you're the best."

Then, he wrapped an arm around Sandra's waist and helped her onto the carousel. "Easy. Watch your step. You're not alone anymore."

Millie stamped her foot in frustration. "Mom! Your husband's helping another woman. Aren't you going to do something?"

I twisted the hem of my dress between my fingers and hesitated for a couple of seconds. "Sandra has a baby on the way. He's probably just worried about a pregnant woman falling."

Millie's eyes turned red all over again.

"When I was five, I wanted to ride the carousel, but he said it was childish. I asked him to help me get on, but he said I was old enough to stop acting like a baby. Why does the baby in her belly matter more than I do? Why doesn't he worry about me?"

Then, she added quietly, "Mom… It's my birthday today."

It felt like something had clenched around my heart.

Jonathan came jogging back toward me with a camera in his hand. "Honey, could you take a picture of Sandy and me? She's been in such a bad mood since the divorce. If we capture a happy moment, maybe she'll feel better sooner."

I took the camera, but my hands were shaking.

Jonathan seemed to really want a picture with Sandra. Yet, he'd always refused me every time I asked him to take a picture with me. He'd said no to me for the past 10 years.

"Honey, I'm not photogenic. You're so beautiful, and I'm too tan and not exactly handsome. I look like your bodyguard when I'm standing next to you. I'd just feel insecure."

So… he felt insecure standing beside me, but not beside someone else. Maybe he really did think Sandra was better than the woman waiting for him at home.

The camera shutter clicked. I lowered my eyes to the photo on the camera's screen. Jonathan stood beside Sandra, smiling so broadly that his eyes curved into crescents.