Many the Miles

Part 12

“Don’t you say you want to be my friend if you intent to be with her. Don’t you dare say it, if that’s what you’re going to do.” I didn’t say anything. Her eyes pleaded with me. “Fine, of that’s what you want fine.” She yelled as she grabbed her glasses and bag and left.

That wasn’t as horrible as I thought it was going to be. I also got valuable information about John. He was really going to do whatever he could to make me look bad in Mia’s eyes. I wasn’t going to let him do that to me. I wasn’t going to let him take this chance from me.

I stood outside Mia’s house and a camera stared me in the face along with their new ring bell. It wasn’t long before the doors opened and to my surprise John opened the door. “Look who’s back. Come on in Rockstar.”

“Daddy” Lyssa said as she ran to me. I picked her up and kissed her cheek. “Are we going to the pool with you and Tio Taj?”

“Sure we just need to ask your mom.”

“I sent Mia away for the day. She and my cousin are off on a spa retreat just until we get things settled. Come have a seat she left something for you.”

I waited in the kitchen for John. I texted Mia and it kept saying my message could not be delivered. “Yea it’s hard to get to her. They are off in the mountains. No tech allowed. She video calls us every night for bedtime stories,” John said as he sat across from me. He slide over a thick stack of papers. “Mia made sure this was fair. She said there was a trip you planned for Thanksgiving. We got Ella to agree to help you with the kids. From then on everything is evenly divided. You get weekends and every other holiday and birthdays. We keep them through the week for school and Alyssa has girl scout camp and dance camp in the summer. The boys schedule won’t change for now.”

I looked over the document and it was a solid custody agreement. “I’ll talk this over with Mia when she gets back.”

John smiled. “There isn’t anything for you and Mia to talk about ever. You have your set times for pick up and drop off. They don’t need a cent of your money. Only your time. And Mia needs absolutely nothing from you.”

I smirked. “Whatever this is. It’s not going to make her want you. She doesn’t have an ounce of love for you. And the sooner you realize that we can all move on.”

“If she loves me or not, she’s, MY wife. This is my family. You’re the outsider. Congratulations on the engagement.”

I stood because I was going to beat the crap out of him when Alyssa came back. “I’m ready to go!” she exclaimed.

“Great, I’ll keep the boys since you don’t get them until tomorrow. Let you and Lyssie have a good time together.”

Alyssa hugged him. “Thanks papa.”

John kissed her cheek. “Anything for you mi amor.”.

After leaving the house I called Ella and she didn’t answer. I tried Mia’s phone and of course that was a dead end. I just wanted answers. “I don’t get it.”

Alyssa finally went to sleep and I sat with Taj reviewing the custody papers. “I don’t know what to tell you man. This is good but it’s going to be public record once it’s filed. You think you and Mia can handle that. No telling when it will hit, but it will.”

“I don’t know what’s going on with Mia because she won’t talk to me.”

“Ella will be here soon so we’ll have an explanation,” as if he conjured her Ella walked through the door.

Taj met her halfway and they kissed. I was happy for them really but that was the last thing I wanted to see. It sucks that they were happy and thriving but there was so much unresolved with Mia and I.

“Ella you hear from Mia?”

“She’s not allowed to talk to me. At least not alone. So I don’t know the details but she is getting couples counseling with John. His cousin has been anchored to her since I got back.”

“What the hell.”

“Dominique and Grant said she was working on serving John divorce papers and moving out. One day she told him to stop,” Ella said softly. “I know this seems weird.”

“John set me up. He told Lauryn about Mia. He did all of this for a girl that doesn’t want him, why?”

“Because she’s his. And he doesn’t like to lose. She has a plan. Whatever it is… I trust my sister,” Ella said.

“I don’t trust him. I don’t trust him at all. And if Mia wants to stay with him. Maybe, we should work on reversing the order. I don’t want them to sit through this thing with them.”

Taj nodded his head. He was going to get to work on changing the terms in the custody agreement they made. I was nervous about Mia’s reaction. This was literally the thing she wanted to avoid. But I knew it needed to happen if she was going to stay with him in the long term.

“Ella let me know if you hear from Mia. And we can sort this stuff out.”

**********

Mia

I was surprised with the ease John got the separation in place, giving me more financial backing, however, it still wouldn’t retain a lawyer past a few consultations. The trade off was that I was under lock and key. His cousin was visiting and my guess is she worn out her welcome with his parents. She was by far the most awkward woman I knew. She talked none stop and it was always hard to follow her train of thought. She’s 56 and if it weren’t for the gray you’d never known. she clearly acted and dressed like a 20 year old.

Now we were in the middle of the desert with no contact to the outside world. I had one more day at this spa and I was going to try and enjoy it. She was in hot yoga so I took the opportunity to get a glow wrap.

All my thoughts had been about Benji and what I would say to him when I saw him. I’ve practice saying congratulations over and over, but I couldn’t mean it.

I know there’s a lot he won’t understand, but I can’t miss this chance to get the thing that will benefit us all in the end. I already can feel his disappointment in me.

I had become friendly with the caterer. She has a bakery in Sonoma I go to often. She was headed my way in a panic. “Mia I need you now,” she yelled.

I looked down at my towel. “Priscilla I’ll meet you in the dining hall after I get dressed.”

“Please God speed girl,” she begged and went on her way back from where she came.

I laughed to myself at her dramatics. I opened my room to see John’s cousin sitting on the floor staring at the door. “Are you okay?”

“Where did you go. I went to get a massage and you weren’t in the room.”

“I got a glow wrap, they don’t do those couple,” I shrugged.

She started to cry. “You don’t like me either, do you?”

“Girl, this is a spa. We are her to relax not cry. I’m not mad or anything with you. I thought you really wanted to do hot yoga so I just got the glow wrap. I’m going to get dressed and see a friend. Have some wine and sit in the hot tube. Enjoy yourself.”

She nodded and hiccupped. I made my way to my room and got dressed and listened to her go in her room. The second her door closed I was out of my room and on my way to the Café. “Girl, I need your help with this last meal please.”

“On one condition.”

“What?”

“Let me use your phone.”