Picture Perfect

Chapter Nine: Tyler

Hi everyone! Just a quick note - I'm going to be publishing some books on Kindle throughout the year. Mostly non-Wattpad books, but if anyone wants Kindle copies of my Wattpad books, please let me know and I'll make versions for the Kindle store.

Love, Cam

<3

Chapter Nine: Tyler

I have the politest divorce ever

"Nervous?" Simon asked.

"No," I lied, trying not to throw up in my mouth. "So this will be... it? Sorted? Until the divorce?"

"Yes," he replied, his voice solemn. "Are you sure you're alright? Siobhan will kill me if she thinks I've not taken care of you, you know."

I smiled a little at that. I was using my sister's law firm for the divorce proceedings, but she wasn't able to be my lawyer due to the conflict of interest. Simon had been a very efficient lawyer, knowing that Colin and I wanted a very quick separation. That was all we were entitled to for now; we couldn't divorce until we had lived apart for at least two years. This was a separation agreement, which was much the same as a divorce other than the legal side of a marriage.

There was a quick knock at the door, and Tracey, Colin's solicitor, poked her head around the door. "Are you ready for us?"

I nodded, and she entered, with Colin following. He looked tired. A petty part of me thought 'good'.

Once they were seated, Simon smiled and began. "Just to state the obligatory part - this meeting is to complete and sign your separation agreement in preparation for your divorce once the two years separation has been completed. Has everybody reviewed the separation agreement?"

I nodded, and so did Colin and Tracey. "Any issues?" Simon asked the group.

"No," I replied. I had nothing to complain about; I had joint custody of Saskie, with most of her time with me due to not wanting to disrupt her schooling, and we were going to split any profit from the sale of the house. Other than that, we both agreed to live apart and have no intimacy other than that dictated by our joint custody arrangement, until such time as we could divorce.

The agreement was so small, such a thin collection of papers. I signed. Colin signed. 

And very suddenly, I was separated from my husband.

Simon and Tracey gave it a moment, and then politely excused themselves. I wondered if it was common, for separation hearings to feel this anticlimactic. I sat on one side of a table, and looked across it at the man I had shared my years with, the man I had raised my daughter with, and saw someone I barely recognised.

"I..." I tried, and found I had nothing to say.

"I'm sorry," Colin said, and met my eyes. His were shining with tears. "I know you don't want to hear it, Tyler, but I love you so very dearly, and I did not want to hurt you. If I could do it over again, I would do it differently."

My mouth twisted into something similar to a smile. "But we would still have wound up here, wouldn't we?"

His face crumpled, and his voice was a whisper. "Yes, I think so."

I nodded, and took a deep breath. "I love you, too. And I want to make this work, for Saskie. I don't ever want her to see us hating each other, or arguing. I don't ever want her to think we don't love her."

Colin nodded fervently. "I agree. And... I don't expect you to ever come to like Andrew, but-"

"I'll make it work," I replied firmly. "If he's sticking around, then I'll make sure Saskie doesn't hate him on my behalf. And I hope the same goes for the future, if I... when I find someone."