“I told you that you’d never make a go of that shop.”
He had told her. Repeatedly. But she had made a go of it. She had been successful. It’s just that everything was messed up now.
“I’m sure you don’t have enough money to start over.”
“Rick, it’s my problem, not yours.”
“If you’re going to play with that shop hobby of yours again, I’m not giving you any money.” Rick’s angry voice came over the phone lines.
“I didn’t ask you too.” Jerk. Then just as quickly she heard herself chastise herself.
Don’t call people names.
She felt guilty even when he deserved it.
“If you can’t provide a stable environment for the boys, then maybe we’ll have to revisit our whole custody arrangement.”
“Don’t be like that, Rick.” Her heart began to pound. It was just like him to start stirring up trouble if she didn’t do as he wished. He was trying to control her life again, like he had done when they were married. Surely they couldn’t take the boys away from her just for moving?
“I think they’d be better off staying with me full time.”
She sank down into the chair. Her pulse pounded in her ears, making it hard to hear him. “No, they wouldn’t. We’re talking about a move here, Rick. A move. Kids move all the time.”
“Well, Jeremy isn’t happy. I don’t think all this upheaval is good, especially for him.”
She’d had enough. “Rick, remember you are the one who wanted the divorce. You started us all down this road. I’ll get it sorted out. You no longer have a say in how or where I live my life. I’m not moving the boys away from you. We’ll still be in town. It’s my decision where we live and what I do for a living.”
“I might talk to my lawyer.”
She wondered if he really was worried about change for the boys, or more that he wanted to have his finger on her again, have some control over her.
“Rick, the building has been sold. We have to move. I’ll find us a place to live soon. In the meantime, we’ll live at Gil’s.”
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to support the boys with that ridiculous store of yours.”
“Thanks for voicing your opinion, Rick. I’ve got to go now.” She was barely holding onto her temper and she didn’t want to start into a big fight with Rick. She had thought they were way past that. Evidently, not so much.
“I mean it. I’m going to talk to my lawyer.”
Bella hung up the phone and walked over to the window, looking out over the parking lot behind her building. The sun had tucked behind the clouds and it looked like a storm was coming in. It fit her thunderous mood just fine. The thing was, she had no money to pay a lawyer to fight Rick if he did actually take her back to court. Would a judge really take her boys away? She didn’t really trust the legal system, a person never knew what could happen. She couldn’t imagine a judge would take them away, but what if Jeremy said he wanted to live with Rick? What if he persuaded Timmy to say it, too? What would happen then? What if she didn’t have the shop back up and running and Rick said she couldn’t support the boys?
All these questions raced through her mind. She held onto the window sill for support. Her boys. She couldn’t handle it if her boys were taken away from her. Her arms ached to hold them right then. To see Jeremy’s tousled hair. To hear Timmy’s laugh. Heck, she’d be glad to hear them bickering right now.
Maybe she should give up her dream of the shop and just take a job somewhere. Anywhere. Just to have an income. Her heart pounded in her chest, followed quickly by anger. Anger that Rick could still have this kind of control over her life. That he was still pulling strings on her life. But realizing that if it came down to it, she’d take any nine to five job she could get if it meant keeping her boys.
How could her hard work and well planned life have fallen apart in so few days? Her breath quickened and she fought back the ‘what ifs’ with little success.
Panic swelled through her. Not only had Owen taken her shop and her place to live, he might have managed to get her boys taken away from her, too.
~ * ~
Owen woke up early on Saturday. He had to talk to Izzy—Isabella—Bella. Bella, he loved that name. It fit her so well. He now realized it was just Jenny and Becky Lee who he had heard call her Izzy. The rest of the town called her Bella. He let the unfamiliar name roll off his tongue. He liked the way it sounded. The Izzy he knew was melting into this Bella he was learning about. A successful business woman. A great mom. She was championed by two life-long friends. He could only imagine having friends like that for so many years.