My biggest mistake

Starting over

I'd expertly avoiding anything having to do with David, staying out until he was gone for work. No leaving my apartment while he was home and dodging his calls at every turn. I didn't need another excuse or some bullshit lie trying to placate me. I could deal with the hurt and the betrayal, what I couldn't deal with was the fact that I let myself fall in love with another man who absolutely shattered my heart. I needed to start looking out for me and with that meant a new start.

Alex decided he wanted to start over with a new family too, signing away all of his rights to Lee and saying he never wanted to see either one of us again. My heart broke for Lee, I hoped that I could fill his life with as much as possible so he never wondered why his dad didn't want to stick around. And with the parting gift and full custody I broke my apartment lease and moved across the country.

Starting over somewhere new with entirely no family was the hardest thing I've ever done. The last full day in Jacksonville was spent packing up my apartment and completely hiding from David. I hired a moving team and paid extra for faster progress, moving everything while he was at work and pulling Lee out of school. I knew I had enough savings and inheritance from my grandparents we could live comfortably for a while before I got a job.

New town, new state, new start for my little family. California would open new doors for us and we could finally be happy, at least that's what I hoped.

I was right, for awhile at least. After six months we slipped into a new routine, Lee loved our new town and his school. He was thriving here, making friends, joining school activities. I just wondered how much things would change when the new baby came.

I didn't like to think that I was running from my problems but that's exactly what I was doing. I couldn't stay and face David everyday, much less Alex after he told me he didn't want anything to do with Lee.

California was a new start, and I'd do anything to make it work for us no matter what it cost me.