LITMIR.BIZ

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with their father out of spite. She wasn’t spiteful and she was to blame for this situation as much as Sam. They’d both been too stubborn to back down. That’s what had brought them here.

      ‘Taylor versus Taylor.’ The bailiff called their case.

      Sam and Juliet stood and followed the bailiff into the courtroom to stand before the magistrate.

      The courtroom was in marginally better condition than the waiting area but still small and unimpressive. Juliet wasn’t sure what she’d expected but something a bit grander, a bit more official in appearance would have suited the occasion better in her opinion. If it weren’t for the raised bench where the magistrate was sitting, one could be forgiven for thinking they were in a school classroom circa 1980. At least the magistrate in her robes lent some formality to the occasion but the room itself was far from grand and in Juliet’s opinion it was diminishing the event. Not that she wanted the event celebrated but she wanted to be able to look back on their twelve-year marriage with positive thoughts and this sombre, dull, drab room was taking the gloss off those years.

      The magistrate nodded at them before saying, ‘State your names, please.’

      Juliet opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She heard Sam’s rich voice beside her—‘Samuel Edward Taylor’?and that gave her the courage to state her own name, although her voice quivered with nerves. ‘Juliet Ann Taylor.’

      ‘You’re filing for divorce?’

      ‘Yes, Your Honour.’ To Juliet’s relief, Sam answered. She’d done about as much talking as she was capable of. Her knees were weak and she wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to hold herself up. Her palms were sweaty and her mouth was dry.

      ‘It says in your petition there are two minors. Have satisfactory custody arrangements been made for the children?’ the magistrate asked.

      ‘Yes, Your Honour.’ Sam repeated his words.

      ‘All right. Your application is granted. Your divorce becomes absolute one month and one day from now and the paperwork will be posted to you. Next case.’

      That’s it? Juliet was dumbfounded. Twelve years of marriage, dissolved in fewer than one hundred words. Sam turned and started walking away from the magistrate. Juliet followed him, feeling completely disoriented.

      Sam walked the length of the courtroom and kept walking until he’d passed through the waiting chamber and into the corridor. Only then did he stop and turn to her.

      ‘Is it always that quick?’ he asked.

      ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘It’s the first time I’ve got divorced.’

      Sam smiled and her stomach trembled in response. ‘I thought she’d ask a few more questions.’

      Juliet shrugged. Now that she thought about it there wasn’t any reason for discussion with the magistrate. ‘She’s not a counsellor. As far as she’s concerned, as long as we’ve filled in the application properly and made arrangements for the kids, she doesn’t care. We’re not contesting anything. She was probably glad to have a straightforward case.’ She was irritated with herself over her reaction to Sam’s smile and her annoyance had made her respond abruptly. But it wasn’t Sam’s fault she still found him attractive and she attempted to tone down her snappiness. ‘But I know what you mean. It doesn’t feel real, does it?’

      ‘I guess it won’t until we get the paperwork,’ he replied.

      Juliet didn’t believe that would make any difference. So much of their day-to-day life would remain unchanged, continuing as it had for the past year, if not longer. She’d missed Sam when they’d been married and she expected to still miss him. She didn’t expect much to change. The children would probably see just as much of him as they always had but she’d wanted him around more. That was what had started this whole process but now all that would change was that he wouldn’t be coming home to her.

      She knew that, at least initially, she’d be the only one who’d feel like something was missing. Sam had his career, his whole other life, and the children were still young enough to be oblivious to all the grown-up worries surrounding them. It was fair to say that Juliet didn’t feel as though this situation had turned out quite as she’d planned.

      Sam started walking, heading for the main foyer and the exit. ‘Do you need a lift? I’m going to grab a taxi to the hotel.’

      ‘No, thank you. Maggie will pick me up, I just need to call her.’

      He stopped and turned to her. ‘I’m sorry, Jules. Sorry it’s come to this.’ He leant down and placed his hand on her forearm as he kissed her on the cheek. His hand and lips were warm and her skin burned where he touched her. ‘I’ll see you around five-thirty when I pick up the kids.’

      Juliet nodded, the lump in her throat preventing her from talking.

      Sam left her then. Left her standing in the foyer, alone. Juliet watched him go and only once he was out of sight did she let her composure slip. She collapsed onto a nearby bench and let all the day’s emotions pour out of her in a torrent of silent tears. She’d felt close to tears all day but she’d refused to let anyone see her cry. Not the children, not her sister, and especially not Sam. She searched her handbag for the packet of tissues she knew was in there as she wondered what had happened to their dreams, their plans for the future. But she knew what had happened. Sam had changed the rules and she had gambled and lost. She’d have to learn to live with that.

      CHAPTER TWO

      ‘DAD’S here, Dad’s here.’

      Juliet could hear Edward yelling. He’d been sitting at the front window since five o’clock, waiting for Sam to arrive—he’d never sat still for that long in his life. Now Sam was here and Edward was running around the house like a maniac. Thirty minutes of inactivity was obviously far too long for a five-year-old boy!

      Juliet answered Sam’s knock at the door. He’d changed out of his uniform and was now wearing jeans and a pale green polo shirt. Juliet didn’t recognise the shirt and she wondered when he’d bought it. Sam never shopped, he spent so much time in a uniform he said he didn’t need many civvies so Juliet had always bought his clothes for him. Who was choosing them for him now? The shade of green was a perfect foil for Sam’s tanned skin and highlighted his green eyes. Juliet couldn’t imagine Sam choosing the shirt deliberately so he either got lucky with the colour or someone else bought it for him. It wasn’t her business any more but she couldn’t stop the flash of jealousy that raced through her.

      She stepped back to invite Sam in just as Edward hurtled past her, launching himself at Sam like a little blond rocket. Sam caught him easily, scooping him up against his broad chest and carrying him inside. Juliet had been wondering whether or not to greet Sam with a kiss on the cheek but Edward’s body formed a wall between them, taking that option out of the equation. Had they just set a precedent for all future greetings?

      ‘Where’s your sister?’ Sam asked Edward.

      ‘Dunno.’

      ‘She’s in her room,’ Juliet replied, and Sam veered right, carrying Ed into Kate’s room.

      ‘Here’s my gorgeous girl?are you ready for dinner?’

      Juliet followed behind them, stopping in the doorway. Kate was still getting ready?aged eight, she already spent more time in front of the mirror than Juliet did. She was sliding a clip into her brown hair and Juliet smiled, Kate had been doing her hair for the last ten minutes, trying out different styles with varying accessories?clips, headbands and bows—but Sam’s arrival seemed to have sped up the process. Kate finished her hair and grabbed her swing coat before crossing the room to greet her father with a hug and a kiss.

      ‘Where are we going?’ Edward asked.

      ‘Sofia’s.’

      Juliet’s throat was tight and hot tears stung

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