Phoenix (Editing)

Chapter 1 *Edited*

She was radiant as she stood amidst the aisles of children's clothing in her, now, favorite children's clothing store. Her long silky black hair flowed down her back, swinging softly as she moved. She was completely animated and talked with her hands even as she held up matching sweater vest's while she talked excitedly with the sales lady assisting her. She held them against her round stomach, which protruded highly in front of her, making her scoop necked, short sleeved, color blocked, jersey knit maternity dress feel almost like a curtain as it hung in front of her.

This was Claire and Claire couldn't have been happier than she was at that moment. Her life was finally going the way she'd always wanted. It was as close to perfect as one could get. A far cry from where she thought her life was headed just a year prior.

A year ago, she believed herself to be a young bride in a loveless marriage headed for divorce. She and her husband, Tobias, had been college sweethearts. She fell in love with him for his brilliant mind as much as his amazing body. Time magazine had recently called him the next Bill Gates. Tobias had started a small software firm at the tender age of nineteen that seemed to blossom overnight. In the last four years it quickly became a strong competitor for Microsoft and Apple.

They had been together for three years before he popped the question, and they finally tied the knot. A year after that and it seemed as if the honeymoon was well and truly over.

Somehow the small gap between them turned into the Grand Canyon and they found themselves on opposite sides of the large ravine staring across the distance at each other. They had become strangers sleeping in the same bed and she didn't know how. It was as if his work or some other unseen force was slowly pulling him from her, and she didn't know how to stop it.

It started with him coming home late, canceling dinner dates, missing family gatherings. He started pulling away from her while he slept when he was once an avid cuddler. Their conversations when together were strained and empty. Then they stopped speaking to each other all together. He stopped coming home most nights and she began to suspect him of cheating on her. She cried herself to sleep countless nights.

Then one day she woke up, looked her reflection in the eyes and decided that she'd had enough. She couldn't stay in a loveless marriage and as she packed her luggage, she decided she would give him one last chance. She lined her luggage under the glass showcase by the front door and sat on the couch, waiting. And she waited ... and waited. The sun set, stealing its light back as it went. Dark shadows splayed over the room as the world slowly spun on its axis, but she didn't get up to turn a light on. And still she waited, even after the stark white futuristic living room was saturated in darkness.

She had decided by midnight that if he wasn't there within the next hour, she would leave a note stating that she wanted a divorce and would leave. She didn't want anything that she didn't come into this marriage with and that would make things go so much smoother for everyone. As the hour wound down, she kept glancing at her watch, illuminated by the pale sliver of moonlight leaking in through the large glass window at her back.

Just when she was sure he would miss her unspoken deadline, she heard keys jingling in the doorknob and light spilled in from the hallway, gifting her with the sight of his tall silhouette as he stepped through. Bright light flooded the room temporarily blinding her as her pupils adjusted.

His eyes landed on the suitcases lined up neatly beside the door as he closed it. Confused he looked up as Claire stood from the couch and began to approach him. Her heart was pounding at what she was about to do, but she couldn't live like this anymore and if what they shared was well and truly over, then so be it. "What's going on?" He asked her as if he couldn't tell.