Chapter 30
After Sophie got home she sat on the couch and cried. Her little girl is all grown up, and has a little girl of her own, how Sophie has longed to have someone to hold her, to comfort her, to tell her it will all be okay. She felt so alone. Her thoughts as always were interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Damn Sophie, you look like hell, you need to take better care of yourself. Are you alright? I am sorry I left in such a hurry, but I had some business to take care of.” Alex said as he pushed his way into the house.
“Won’t you come in Alex, make yourself at home.” Sophie remarked in a sarcastic way. “I really do not know what is wrong with me, you sure the hell never forgot how to make a woman feel good. I feel alone, I have regrets, and I just…..hold me. Please.” Sophie said as she busted into tears.
“It is okay, just let it all go, I am not in a hurry I can stay for a while. Are the other two kids asleep? How do they like the new baby?”
“They fell asleep on the way home; I just got them back into the bed. They love Jasmine and the idea of her being around.”
“Jasmine, what the hell kind of name is that?” “That is what Kay-Leah named the baby; she likes the name, as do I and Austin as well. Austin by the way is back with Kay-Leah.”
“Sure you sure that is a good idea? I sure the hell don’t.”
“Yes, they will be just fine; they won’t be getting into any more trouble than they already have. Are you in a hurry to go home? Can you or should I say will you stay for a while? I need someone to talk to.”
“Hey, its okay, I am not in no hurry at all. I never thought I would ever hear those words again, if you want me to stay I can.”
“Just do not get the wrong idea, I am not asking you to stay the night; I just need someone to talk to.”
“Fine, damn it, I won’t touch you.” Alex leaned over and tried to kiss Sophie.
“Alex, damn you, I said do not touch me, please.” Sophie said as she tried not to kiss him back, he was just so hard to refuse. Then she pulled away from him. “No, I cannot do this, I think this was a bad idea, you better go. Please, I am married now; I cannot do this to Zander.”
“As you wish, I have a date anyway; I just did not want to be rude. Of course my date may get upset if I am late, and smell of another woman. After talking to you at the hospital earlier I decided to call an old friend, she accepted to have dinner with me. I just came by to see how things were going, call you tomorrow.”
“See you later thanks for coming by.”
“No, thank you, you were here when I needed a shoulder. Damn phone is ringing, guess I better answer it. Lock the door on your way out.”
“Hello.”
“Damn woman what is so important that you left a million messages?” Zander had finally called back.
“Damn woman I tried to call you half of the night last night. Do you ever stay home?” Sophie asked Jewel is a voice of oddity. “Wait I forget, you have a free life, Brit is always at her grandmothers and grandfathers, or she is at a friend’s for the night. Of course you were out with a new guy right, once again cheating on my brother, while he is at work.”
“Really Sophie, your brother and I had a dinner party to go to. So now that we have cleared that up, what the hell was so important?”
“The first time I called was to tell you that Kay-Leah was in labor. Then the rest of the time was to tell you that she had a baby girl and named her Jasmine. The last time I called was to find someone to talk to. I felt alone and could not get a hold of Zander, then Alex came over, but he could not stay he only came by to rub it in my face that he moved on and had a date, so I did the only thing I could do sat and cried.”
“I am sorry Sophie, I am happy to hear that you have a granddaughter that should help to keep your mind off of Zander for a while. You do realize the movie business is a busy profession. Tell me something you really are not upset over the fact that you cannot get a hold of Zander, you are more jealous over the fact that Alex had a date. Am I right?”
“I don’t know, I guess a part of me is jealous, I know that it is wrong, but I cannot help it. Oh never mind, I am just confused. I just miss Zander, he has not written, called, nothing in three weeks. For a while he was calling me all the time, now he doesn’t call at all.”
“Oh come on, I am sure he has a good explanation for not calling you. He loves you, he will call, and he knows Kay-Leah is due any day, he will call.” He is probably getting drunk, fucking his whores, wondering what the hell he was thinking getting married to you, but you got into the mess, and the worst is yet to come.
“I hope you are right, I need to hear his voice.”
Kay-Leah had been home with the baby for two weeks before Jake ever bothered to call.
Just then the phone rang; Sophie was hoping it would be Zander. “Hello.”
“Sophie, hi honey. I miss you, how is Kay-Leah? Had that baby made it into this big cruel world yet?”
“Damn you Zander, if you were to call more often you would know that, she had the baby two weeks ago. As a matter of fact Kay-Leah is just fine, and so is Jasmine. Kay-Leah is back with Austin. I did try to call the night the baby was born, but of course as usual no answer, you were nowhere to be found. All they kept telling me was you were not available, and that they had not seen you in a few days. I was getting worried.”
Of course I have been out and about enjoying married life but single life at the same time. “I am so sorry babe, I have been really busy, running lines, being in meetings more so now than ever, you should know all that already. You want me closer to home don’t you?” Of course we all know that won’t ever happen there is no such thing. “Plus we did a few scenes out in the ocean; we all know the signals for the phone are crappy out there. Tell Kay-Leah I send my love, and congratulations. You know there is a solution to all of this. There are three alternatives, one you move out here with me, I get out of the movie business now, or we can just get a divorce. You knew going in how things would be, now it is your choice to make, at this point I could care less, I am sick of the bitching. Of course you can shut your fucking mouth, quit bitching, and take things for what they are.”
“What are you serious? What kind of choices are those? I am sorry darling, I am just tired. I had a rough day at work, the baby is not sleeping as it should be, the kids are being rotten again, I did not mean to yell at you the way I did. You know divorce is not something I want; I would just like to spend more time with my husband. For now the arrangements will just have to do. Just hearing your voice will have to be enough. It is not like I will never see you again. I just miss you that is all. I just need to adjust to the distance. I will get over it. What I won’t get over is the way you talk to me. I am not a child you need to watch how you talk to me.”
“Okay, shut up and listen, you actually put a damper on my surprise, but here it is, I have good news, well it was at the time, but, I am now being given weekends off, starting next week.”
“Oh my god, are you serious? Why didn’t you tell me that before I got all bent out of shape and was thinking the worst? So you are telling me that you will be home next weekend, and every weekend after that?”
“Yep, that is how I managed to work things out. Plus I will be able to call more now too. Once in a while when you get time off you can come out here with the kids. It is going to be easier on us, and is the best I can do. I managed to talk them into a twenty day vacation, so next weekend when I come home I have twenty days to spend at home.”
“That just made my day; I am so much happier now, I was feeling so depressed.”
“Well, no need to feel so depressed, I will be home soon and we will have more time together. We will make plans to do something.” Damn I really do not like what I have made arrangements for what I plan to do; now I have to spend more time with this bitch. But, I have a court date I need to get ready for, then my kids will be mine and she will be stuck with them, not me. I only have to send her money to take care of them, well unless my stupid ass cousin Jewel fucks me over and spills the beans.
“I really do not know what we can do, and really do not care, I am just happy that you will be home and we have twenty days to spend together. I least you will get to see Jasmine before she is a year old, she is so adorable Zander, her grandparents made good on their promise and gave us the money the day she was born. The best part all the doctor bills are caught up and Austin comes over all the time to see the baby. He really is a great father, Kay-Leah is a great mother, she takes care of her baby herself, except when she is at school, of course then I take care of her. Did I mention that she and Austin are back together? For how long who knows, but so far so good.”
Damn woman you can talk, I think I checked out after money, who knows what else you said. “Well my time is up on this damn phone, I will see you next weekend, make sure the house is clean, and give the kids a hug.”
“Did you just tell me to clean my house? I always clean and keep a neat household.”
Sure your lazy ass does not clean shit, you make the kids do it and it is done half ass. “Yes, I did, but I know I have told you I cannot stand things out of place.”
Sophie hung up the phone knowing that things would finally work out for the better. Even after the comment about her needing to clean the house. Sophie was just happy knowing that she and Zander would have somewhat of a normal life together at last. At least she would see him more often than every six months. She thought back to what Zander had told her before they were married, “If you decide to marry me, you are stuck with me for life, I will not let you divorce me, I lost you once to Alex, it will not ever happen again.” That had stuck with Sophie she could still hear him tell her that. It was at that point that Sophie realized Alex had no place in her heart any longer, Zander had it. Although she knew he would still be around for the kids, just not for her.
“Mom, is everything alright between you and Zander? I thought I heard you yelling at him.” Kay-Leah asked, looking exhausted.
“Yes, everything is fine, Zander is coming home for twenty days, then every weekend after that. He worked something out with the movie company he works for. Wait a minute why aren’t you in bed? I already told you I would feed Jasmine if she woke up. You missy have school tomorrow.”
“I know I am just worried about you, I heard you yelling, and thought something happened, I am going back to bed now. At least maybe now you will get back to your normal self, and not be so grumpy, and depressed.”