“I didn’t expect to make friends here,” she said. “I expected to be a different kind of lonely.”
His brow wrinkled. “Different from what?”
“From the kind of lonely I was in Newport. There were lots of people around but there was only one I wanted—my mother. I ached with loneliness.
“My mom and I didn’t live together after I went to college. Oh, there were a few months here and there—while I was waiting for a new apartment to become available or after my divorce while I looked for my own place, just temporary situations. Then when she got sick, I moved home to be with her. After she died, the house became mine, but it was always her house. I couldn’t seem to escape the feeling that I’d just lost her, surrounded by her decorating and her things. That’s why I looked for a getaway. And I’ll go back to that house. It’s a wonderful house with an office on the second floor that looks out to the ocean. It has a large backyard and a pool. I can walk to the beach from there. I want to live in that house again. I just hope I’m stronger when I do.”
“You seem pretty strong now,” he said. “Don’t worry too much, Kaylee. That immediate, crushing feeling of loss will pass. You’ll always miss her. But you’ll start to feel better.”
“Is that how it was for you?” she asked.
“Yes. It took a while, but eventually… Yes, that’s how it is.”
* * *
The next day Landry had an appointment with Brie Valenzuela, Jack’s sister, and a local attorney with a small practice. She opened the door for him to come in, a smile on her face. “So good to see you. I’m glad you called, but I’m confused. You need a divorce?”
“That’s right,” he said, shaking her proffered hand. “I’ll explain.”
He had a seat in front of her desk and laid it out quickly, eleven years married, ten separated. “Laura visited recently and I told her I was done being legally bound and that I’d like it to be official. I’ve been thinking of her as an ex-wife for years. We’re still on very good terms. We’re friends. But we haven’t lived together for a decade.”
“How do you plan to handle the settlement? Will her attorney be contacting me?”
“I doubt there will be any kind of settlement. We’ve both paid our own way since she moved out.”
“You haven’t paid any support or alimony?”
“Nope.”
“Nothing?”
“No. I gave her a few loans that she never repaid, but I wasn’t expecting repayment. Her life as an actress went hot and cold—she’d have a good season followed by waiting for work followed by another role. It wasn’t steady. Thus the loans. She’d need money for rent or to get her by till her next check or for some special thing that would help her in her business. Like, once it was dental work. Very expensive. I helped if I could.”
“And did you also borrow money from her?”
“No, I wouldn’t do that. No, I never asked her for money.”
“I suppose that’s a demanding and uncertain lifestyle, acting.”
“I thought she’d be a star. I thought she was good. When I was over being insulted that she’d choose a career over a marriage, I tried to be supportive.”
Brie folded her hands on top of her desk. “Will she be expecting to receive divorce documents?”
“When we last talked about it she said that I should go ahead and do whatever I felt I should do. I don’t think she’ll be surprised. If she is, it’s only because I’ve done nothing for so long.”
“Okay. Maybe it will go smoothly. I can write it up for you. One piece of advice—even couples on the best of terms can get a little weird or strange when the divorce becomes a reality.”
“Even couples who have been separated for ten years?”
“Completely separated?” she asked.
“She has only visited a few times in the past ten years. She left some things behind when she first left but over the course of a year they slowly found their way to LA, her home since then.”
“So, she also wants the divorce?”
“Well…” He paused. “Actually, on her recent visit she asked if I’d be willing to try again. She says she’s frustrated with acting and it’s not going as she hoped. I told her it was just too late for that. She was a little disappointed, but she said it was up to me.”
Brie just stared him down for a moment. “I’ll need some information—birth dates, Social Security numbers, ID, addresses, date of the marriage. I’ll have the initial documents ready by the end of the week. But Landry, I suggest you call her, tell her of the progress you’ve made.”