Jacob
Ex to Ex
The Tables Have Turned
After standing at Destiny’s door knocking for the past ten minutes, I went back to my car and sat in the driver’s seat. I was tired of the back and forth. Before I went to Utah, she let me in and temporarily made me the happiest man alive. She gave me what I needed most, her unrestricted love. Other days, I was reduced to sitting in the car being her protector from the sidelines.
I didn’t stake out in front of her house because I was some jealous, obsessed husband. No. I did it because I didn’t want anything to happen to her that I could have prevented. I had an unmarked car watching her house when I wasn’t available to do it
myself. I had to know she, our baby, Junior and Montana were okay at all times.
Settling into my seat, I turned on the radio and Dylan Scott touted off about his girl. His song made me reflect on how I got to this place where Destiny didn’t consider herself my girl.
“Yeah, that's my girl. In my truck, in the songs that I sing with the radio up. My girl. In my heart, in my soul and the air that I breathe every day…”
I reached the bridge of “My Girl” and was in full country boy singing mode when Montie’s BMW pulled into my girl’s driveway. My stepchildren sprinted from the car to the door. Montana wore a pretty pink dress with a headful of pretty bows. Junior wore blue slacks and a blue and white button-down collar shirt.
I scrambled to get the door open, hopped out the car and jogged up to the door behind them. “Junior, Montana!” I screamed their names.
When they saw me, they ran over and leapt into my arms.
I snatched both of them up and hugged them tight. I didn’t want to let go. “I missed you guys so much,” I said after kissing the tops of their heads.
“I miss you too,” Montana said in her sweet, little voice.
“Hey Mr. Jacob,” Junior said. He was back to calling me Mr. Jacob instead of Pops. That let me down hard. At least, he was still speaking to me. “I’m about to go inside with my Mama,” he quickly added as he wiggled out of my embrace.
I watched Junior run up the lawn and to the front door. Montana stayed in my arms with her head rested on my chest. I rested my jaw on top of her head, cherishing our time together. I didn’t know if Destiny would come outside and snatch her away from me or if she would allow us time to catch up. She’d been unpredictable for the past month.
“Hey Jacob, man, I didn’t know you would be here. Does Destiny know you’re out here?” Montie asked as worry lines creased his forehead. He glanced at the front door and I followed his gaze to Destiny glaring at the both of us. She looked gorgeous in a chocolate brown romper that showed my baby had grown in the three weeks since I last saw her.
“Come on in, Montana!” she yelled and Montana wiggled from my arms, just as her brother had done seconds before.
“Destiny, I want to talk—” before I could complete my statement the door slammed shut. Just like that, I was shut out again.
Besides text messages she answered with short answers over the past three weeks, I hadn’t heard her voice or seen her. Having to miss time with her was the reason I fired anyone who even appeared to be involved with the sexual harassment scandal going on in my Utah office. I didn’t have a problem paying the settlements. However, their insubordination cost me valuable time with my wife.
“Look, Jacob man, I’m sorry for putting your business out there like that. I didn’t mean to blurt out to Destiny that you slept with Justine. It’s just that when Destiny said you told her that I slept with Justine, I just reacted. I wasn’t in a good place then.”
“At this point, it doesn’t matter who told what. The truth is out and now I have to deal with it,” I said. “Nothing that happened in the past matters to me,” I added, giving him reassurance I held no contempt for him, at all.
“You’re right. I still feel like shit for being the one to break the news. That was your place to do.”
“I had brought her to Atlanta to tell her, hoping that us being where we met would lighten the blow. When she found out from you, I just had to come clean. I never liked keeping it from her in the first place. I just didn’t want to destroy us over something that I didn’t even do with a sound mind,” I admitted.
“I know it may sound odd now, being that I ratted you out, but I don’t have anything to do with it. I can listen to you and advise you, but at the end of the day it’s between you and Destiny,” Montie said, his retracting body language matching his words. He looked back at a beautiful woman sitting in his car and took a step toward the car.
“Is that your new lady in your car?” I asked.
“Yes, her name is Lissa.” Montie gave me the side eye as if he were sizing up my reason for asking about his woman.
“Just asking because she looks a lot like Destiny.”
“I know,” he sighed, “It’s just a coincidence that she’s beautiful like Destiny.”
“Yeah. I could use a drink. How about we have drinks at the bar down the street in about an hour?” I asked. “A drink amongst two men with a lot in common,” I added, reaching my hand out to shake his.
“Bet. Let me take Lissa home and then I’ll meet you there.” Montie shook my hand, got in his car and left.