He Refused to Save My Mother, But Broke Rules for Her Dog

Chapter 3

The following evening, I went to the dining room at the base officers' club.

I didn't want to cook, and I couldn't stand staying in a house where every corner reminded me of Arthur.

While I waited for my meal, the host at the entrance suddenly stood straighter.

"Major, your private room is ready."

I followed his gaze.

Arthur and Chloe walked in side by side.

He had changed out of his scrubs and rolled the sleeves of his black shirt to his elbows. Chloe still wore her nurse's uniform, her late husband's dog tags hanging against her chest. She tilted her head and said something that made Arthur laugh under his breath.

I had known him for six years and rarely seen him smile like that.

In the past, I would chase after him with my photographs of the northern lights, eager to explain each composition. He would keep reading a medical chart and say, "If you like it, that's what matters."

I had always assumed he was naturally distant—a man who didn't know how to respond.

I had been wrong.

He had just been saving his warmth for someone else.

They looked well suited to each other.

"Sarah?"

Chloe noticed me first, and delight immediately lit up her face.

"What are you doing here alone?"

Without waiting for an answer, she sat down across from me.

"The patient from last night was fine. False alarm. When Arthur finished, he said you loved the steak here and insisted on having one packed for you."

She turned to Arthur, smiling warmly.

"He really loves you. No matter how busy he is, he still thinks about you. Daniel is gone, and no one even remembers what I like anymore. Thank goodness Arthur saved Rex. If I lost that dog too, I don't think I could go on."

Hospital staff and military families occupied the nearby tables. Chloe spoke just loudly enough for them to hear.

Several people looked at her with sympathy.

I stared at the two dog tags on her chest and remembered her saying the paperwork could be filed later.

She was provoking me. She knew my mother was dead.

"Whether Arthur loves me is between us," I said. "What does that have to do with you or your dog?"

Chloe's smile stiffened. Her eyes reddened immediately, and her fingers closed around the dog tags.

"I'm sorry. I'm just grateful he saved Rex. It's the last thing Daniel left me. I never meant to upset you."

Whispers rose around us.

"Didn't her husband die during a mission?"

"It's just a retired military dog. Why pick a fight with a widow over that?"

"The major was just looking after his fallen comrade's family."

Arthur approached with a grim expression and stood beside Chloe.

"Apologize to her, Sarah."

I looked up at him. "What exactly did I say that was wrong?"

"You know how Daniel died. You know what Rex means to her."

"Does that give her the right to interfere in our marriage?"

"No one is interfering in our marriage." Arthur's voice was icy. "You twist everyone's kindness into something ugly."

Chloe tugged at his sleeve. "Let it go, Arthur. I don't blame Sarah."

I picked up my bag and turned to leave.

Arthur grabbed my wrist.

"Apologize before you go."

His grip was so tight my bones ached.

I looked at the face I had loved for years and suddenly smiled.

"When my mother died, I told every relative that you were upholding military regulations and couldn't make an exception for family."

"But you arranged a vehicle for Chloe, crossed state lines, and filed the paperwork afterward. So tell me, Arthur. Who owes whom an apology?"

"You would save her dog, but you wouldn't save my mother. Why?"

His fingers loosened at once.

The dining room fell completely silent.

Chloe turned pale. Arthur's lips parted as if he wanted to explain, but I didn't give him the chance.

I pulled my hand free and walked out.

"If you walk out now, don't expect me to come home and smooth things over!" Arthur called after me.

I never looked back.

The night wind hit my face. Leaving, I realized, wasn't nearly as hard as I had imagined.

When I got home, I called Amy.

She had been my best friend in college and now worked as a legal assistant at a medical malpractice firm.

After hearing everything, she was silent for a few seconds.

"Are you sure you want to end it?"

I looked at the red marks forming around my wrist.

"I'm sure."

Amy didn't try to talk me out of it. An hour later, she emailed me a list of documents required for an uncontested divorce in our jurisdiction.

The divorce petition, a property settlement agreement, a waiver of formal service, and a declaration that Arthur, as an active-duty service member, would participate voluntarily and waive any delay.

We had no children, and our finances were simple.

He could keep the house. We would each keep our own accounts. I wanted no spousal support. I would take only the camera, clothes, and travel savings I had owned before the marriage.

The printed documents totaled twenty-seven pages.

A few signatures wouldn't end a marriage overnight. After the mandatory waiting period, the court would still have to review the case and issue a final decree.

For me, the most important thing was getting Arthur to sign the papers himself.

He would be the one to release me from this marriage.