Dear Ex-Wife, Please Love Me Again

4. True friends

4. True Friends

Amelia

The next day, I wake up with a headache. This emotional hangover is making me feel sick. I don't feel like getting up, but I make a great effort. I need to prepare breakfast for the kids. Starting today, I have to create a new routine since JuanLu used to take them to school, and now I have to do it.

I dress quickly and leave my room. I slept in very late. The absence beside me made me feel incomplete, so I couldn't fall asleep. And when I finally did, it was almost time to get up.

I head first to Antonio's room, who, surprisingly, takes the longest to get ready.

"Come on, Tony! Time to get up." My boy opens his eyes and looks at me. He jumps up and throws himself into my arms. "Mommy, I will always love you. I will never abandon you." He sounds like a sorrowful child, but I understand. At this moment, the feeling of abandonment will start to affect them, especially at this complicated age.

"I will always love you too, my baby." I kiss his forehead while he clings to me. At that moment, the door opens, and my little girl walks in.

"I will always love both of you too. Always together like the three musketeers." I can't deny that I was afraid Lily would side with her father and reproach me in some way, but she understands it's not my fault. They both know how hard I've worked to make our family happy. That makes me breathe a sigh of relief. Now more than ever, I know the three of us will get through this.

"Come on, kids, as they say in show business, the show must go on." I try to force a smile, which they attempt to return. The walk to school was in complete silence. I don't want to force them to act as usual because I know they haven't yet come to terms with the new situation.

"I'll come to pick you up after school. Behave, and I don't want any complaints." They get out and walk inside. I watch them go and sigh. Despite everything, we had twelve happy years, and what remains makes me feel satisfied.

I return home. The first thing I do is take JuanLu's things downstairs and put them in the laundry room. When he comes for them, he won't need to go up to the bedroom. I don't want him to set foot there again. I haven't decided if we'll stay here. My parents' house isn't far, so the kids wouldn't have to change schools. It's a good option since I'll soon need to find a job. That word increases my headache.

When I finish taking everything down, I hear the doorbell. I shudder at the thought that it might be JuanLu. I'm not ready to face him. The ringing continues, so I gather my courage and go to open the door. Fortunately, it's not my ex.

"Sweetie, we're so sorry." Cony throws herself at me, taking me in her arms. She squeezes me so tightly I almost suffocate. I try to push her away but can't.

"Le-t go of me!" I manage to shout, which makes her let go. She looks at me with her huge eyes with contact lenses. Who would think of hiding such beautiful intense blue eyes with brown ones? Only her.

"Sweetie, forgive me. I wanted to wrap you in my body to help you bear your pain. Your mother called me and told me, so I had to call Angie and tell her. We had to be with you."

I nod and open the door for them to come in. I know long hours of endless comforting chatter are coming. But that's what friends are for. True friends. They sit in the living room, opening the packages they brought. There's enough food to feed an army, but most of it will be left over because they are always on a diet, and I'm not hungry.

They begin to curse JuanLu, who must have red ears right now, but I don't stop them. Let them say whatever they want. After all, we're no longer a couple.

"I'm not going to deny that I always had a feeling this would happen. Once, I saw him looking too long at some women. He thought no one noticed, but I was watching. He's an i***t who will regret it someday. Don't worry, you can count on us for everything." Cony speaks non-stop, not letting Angie say a word. She is the most sensible among the three of us, so I'm sure what she says will be something very important to consider. "Come on, Angie, say something."

My other friend, a lovely brunette, petite and graceful, just gets up to sit next to me. She takes my hand and caresses it. She knows what to do in every situation. And right now, I just want to be comforted.

"Cry, Amy. Cry all you want. Because if you don't let out your pain, it can stay inside you and cause you much harm. I can't tell you it will stop hurting right away, but I assure you that one day, it won't hurt anymore. That day, you'll sleep and wake up as if it had all been a dream." Her words move me deeply. Without realizing it, I'm crying again. But they're right. This pain will pass.

"Thank you for coming. I don't want you to worry about me. I'll be fine. I'll soon get used to this new situation. Although what worries me a bit is that I don't know what I'll work at. I didn't study anything, and I don't know how to do anything. I have to think very carefully about what job I can do." They stay silent, analyzing what I said. Suddenly, Cony opens her big brown contact-lensed eyes wide.

"Sweetie, why don't you study fashion design? The outfits you make for Lily are amazing. I remember once, when we were very young, you mentioned you were interested in studying that. I can get you a job with the seamstress who makes my dresses. I'm sure that as soon as she sees your talent, she'll hire you without hesitation. You can start from scratch there. Come on, cheer up, and I'll get you an interview with her."

My two friends look at me expectantly. They know me very well and know that studying fashion was always a dream of mine. Now it presents itself in my life as an opportunity to start over. Who knows, maybe the whims of fate will lead me to something I hadn't considered in my life.

I give them a smile and nod my head.

"Alright, friend, get me that interview. I have nothing to lose and much to gain. Besides, I haven't talked to JuanLu about the divorce, and I don't know when he will start giving me child support."

They make a face when I mention him. I know he was never their favorite person, but they tolerated him for my sake. Besides, he did get along well with their husbands.

"I've forbidden Darío from speaking to him again. Angie, you should tell Oscar to do the same. Needless to say, the doors of my house are closed to him." I say nothing because if she has already decided, her husband will obey her as if she were a general in the army. He adores her so much that my friend's word is law in that house.

Time passes harmoniously when I'm with them. Their company comforts me. Things are falling into place, and I know good things are coming for me.