Happily Ever After

Chapter Five- Margie Harper

Trigger Warning: Infertility
     I stare at the empty room around me. Well not really empty. There's still a kitchen table, my stuff scattered across the counter but the last of his boxes are gone.
    
            For the past few years, I've been trapped in a miserable marriage. Levi and I met while I was in business school. He was this cute, blonde guy with ocean-blue eyes. Every day he would come in late and sit next to me. He'd ask me questions throughout class, cracking jokes about what the professor was talking about. I was really into him.

           We were friends for a bit but during one late-night study session, he kissed me. I felt over the moon. We eventually started dating. Those weeks turned into months, and then years, and then one day he proposed. I said yes and we started planning a small wedding. By then, my family wasn't really happy with me. My sisters hated Levi and we were so far across the country from each other that we were falling out of touch.

        A little after we got married, his parents being the only attendees, he confessed he didn't want to do business school anymore, but rather make music. His parents had a business so he felt pressured into business to take over the company. I told him he should do it and he did. I spent years finishing school and eventually took over the business for him. We moved back to New York from Oregon so he could connect more with those in the industry.

       Years into our marriage passed and Levi told me he wanted kids. I didn't but I wanted to make him happy. Either way though, years passed and we still didn't have a kid. I can't have them.

       After finding out we couldn't, he cheated. He found some other girl and decided she was much better. He didn't come home until late at night and even started neglecting his music, not that it was good in the first place. Our marriage grew loveless and eventually, it became resentful. Last week, I gave him divorce papers and gave him an out. He took it and now every trace of him has vanished from this apartment.

       Jamie looks around the room before wrapping her arms around me. "You made a good choice."

       Oscar nods, looking over at me as he leans against a table.

        I let out a breath.

        My biggest regret with this marriage wasn't Levi himself, but the fact I pushed away everyone else I loved. Jamie and I lost touch and so did Oscar and I. It wasn't until recently we reconnected. I can't believe I let go in the first place.

       I hug Jamie back. "Thank you, guys."

       "Anytime," Oscar says.

       "That's what we're here for."

        "It's been so long though," I mumble.

        "But we're all talking now, right?" Jamie smiles. "Although I've been talking to this idiot for years," Jamie teases as she points back at Oscar.

       "Same goes for that one," Oscar says. "She's used me as a clothing test subject a few times too. I can't even tell you how many times I've been poked with a safety pin."

       "You're supposed to check them before you put it on," Jamie explains, her arms crossed.
 
        "How was I supposed to know that?" Oscar says.

        I laugh. "I missed this bantering."

        "Well you're about to get really used to it," Oscar says.

         I smile, "I'm ready for that." 

         "Wait, Oz, don't you have a date tonight?" Jamie asks. 

        "She blocked me," Oscar shrugs. 

         "What?" I mutter. 

         "Yeah. I tried to double-check on the plans for today because I was overthinking and got a notification saying I'm no longer able to contact this person." 

         "Why would she do that?"

         "I don't know. We were getting along so well." 

          "Forget Haylee," Jamie rolls her eyes. 

         "I'm sorry she did this," I mumble. 

           He shrugs. "I'm kind of enjoying being single. There's absolutely no commitment to anyone. I can do whatever I want whenever." 

          "It doesn't really feel like a burden when you really care about them," I explain. 

         Jamie frowns. "I think we need to stop talking about relationship issues and instead say frick them! Do you have chocolate?" 

        She locks eyes with mine before shaking her head. "That was a stupid question. Of course, you do. And it will be up here." 

       She opens the overhead cabinet and surely enough, she found it, along with the popcorn. 

        "Ah ha!" Jamie smiles. "Same as always, Mar-Mar." 

        I laugh. 

         Oscar narrows his eyebrows. "How did you do that?" 

          "Magic," Jamie grins, tearing open the popcorn bag. 

           I quickly grab a bowl as she throws the bag in the microwave. 

           "What are we watching?" She asks. 

           "We can watch everyone else's lives fall apart?" Oscar suggests. 

           "So the Kardashians?" I ask. 

           "Exactly," he points over to me. 

           I laugh. 

           We finished making the popcorn and putting chocolate into the bowl with it. We press play and make fun of the random quotes coming out of their mouths before getting distracted. 

           "Their outfits are so ugly," Jamie mutters. 

          "Seriously," I add, grabbing a handful. 

          "What are you going to do with your degree now?" Oscar asks. 

           "Well, Levi's mom said I can still work for the company. We ended on pretty close terms," I shrug. "But I can't imagine staying there for long so I'm not sure. 

          "Ooh! We should make our own company!" Jamie says, quickly. 

           "What?" Oscar and I ask in unison. 

           "Think about it! You're trained in management, I have a degree in fashion design, and Oscar is trained in accounting. We can work together and figure something out." 

            Oscar takes a second, letting it sink in. "That's actually not a bad idea." 

             "Hold up, it's a lot of preparation and requires a lot of money. How are we supposed to get this off the ground?" I ask. 

            "What's a better time than now? We're all single. No commitments. No kids, no dates, nothing. This is our chance to make something big," Jamie says. "We should at least give it a shot. For now, it could just be brainstorming. We can take the first big step when we feel more prepared."

            "I've got nothing better to do," Oscar says. "I'm in."

            "Margie?" Jamie asks. 

             I smile, "Sure. I'm in."