“So, I have some news that might seem a little strange. Your father and I have separated and he’s going to be staying somewhere else. He got a place not far from here. On the water, so that should be fun for you guys.”
Brooke set her taco down and looked confused and angry.
“Why?”
Mandy sighed. “Sometimes people are happier apart than together. Your father and I got married young and I think we’ve grown apart. We have different interests. Other than you kids, of course.”
“Is it us? Did we do something?” Blake asked. His lower lip trembled slightly and Mandy immediately got up and gave him a hug.
“Of course not, honey. This has nothing to do with you kids. Your father loves you both very much. It’s between me and him.”
“He doesn’t love you anymore?” Brooke looked dubious.
Mandy hesitated. “We both love and respect each other, but we’ve decided that this is best for us, right now.”
“I don’t understand this at all.” Brooke’s eyes watered, and Mandy gave her a hug, too.
“I’m so sorry, honey. I don’t really understand it either, to be honest. But it’s what we need to do. You’ll see your father this weekend.”
“We have to go stay with him? And leave you? I don’t know if I want to do that.”
“It will just be for one night. He’ll come get you on Saturday and bring you home on Sunday. It will be fun to see his place.” Mandy tried to sound positive and didn’t want to say anything negative about Cory. The kids didn’t need to know he’d cheated.
“I don’t like this at all.” Brooke took a final bite of her taco and seemed to have lost interest in the other one on her plate.
“I don’t either,” Blake said. But his appetite didn’t seem to be affected.
“I’m sorry, kids. I know it’s going to be a change for all of us. But we’ll figure it out. Brooke, finish your taco.” Mandy understood though, as she hadn’t felt like doing much of anything all week. “If you both finish your dinner, we’ll have some ice cream and maybe watch a movie. Sound good?”
“What kind of ice cream?” Brooke asked.
“Mint chocolate chip. I picked some up yesterday.”
That got a smile out of her. It was Brooke’s favorite flavor.
“Okay, but I get to pick the movie.”
Mandy smiled. “Deal.”
Later that evening, after they’d all snuggled together on the sofa watching a movie and the kids were sound asleep in bed, Mandy found herself wide awake. She couldn’t find anything she wanted to watch on TV and looked around for a book to read before remembering that she still had Gram’s diary in her tote bag. She fished it out, climbed into her pajamas and curled up in bed to read for a bit.
She thought she’d probably just read for a few minutes until her eyes grew heavy, but the opposite happened and she read for over an hour. And learned more about the mysterious Jay.
Dear Diary, Jay asked me to marry him! Of course I said yes. It was the most romantic thing. He took me to our favorite restaurant in the North End, Cantina Italiana and instead of our usual wine, he ordered a bottle of champagne and I didn’t think anything of it. I had no idea. I just thought he wanted something different. But once it was poured, and we put our orders in, Jay got down on his knees and held out the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. It was his grandmother’s, and it’s so delicate and pretty. I can’t stop staring at it.
The rest of the night was magical. I barely remember eating my pasta, we were so busy making our plans for our life together. We decided that we’ll aim for a New Year’s Eve wedding, so that gives me six months to plan. I’m so excited that I don’t think I’ll sleep a wink tonight.
The next few entries were more about the wedding planning and her grandmother’s search for the perfect dress. The search was put on hold though when the US entered the war and Jay promptly enlisted.
Dear Diary, We’re at war now. And Jay and his friends went down as soon as it was announced to sign up. I understand why they did of course and I support it, but I wish he wasn’t going. I won’t be able to fully relax until it’s over and he’s home. The wedding, of course, is on hold until he comes back. It might be sooner or later, no one really knows. It’s a scary time for all of us.
Her grandmother’s worry was evident in the next few entries, which spanned several months.
Dear Diary, It looks like this blasted war is never going to end. I write to Jay every week and hear back maybe once a month if I’m lucky and it’s a relief every time. He says he’s well, but I know he’s anxious to get home too. I have these awful dreams sometimes, nightmares really where he never comes home. It’s my biggest fear. But I try to stay focused on my job and I pray for him every night and every Sunday in church.