The day Grant was to arrive home I rose early. Winnie knew something was going on as she wouldn't leave my side.
I walked in to Ava's room and stood there for a little while taking in the peace that was on her tiny face. I remember thinking how beautiful she was and that I wished for her to grow up happy and most of all loved.
I finally woke from my thoughts and walked over to her, kiss her little forehead and told her it was time to go and get Grant. She sat up quickly and pulled her covers back "Now!" She said excitedly. "Yes sweet heart now" I replied.
We got dressed and to the 20 minute drive to Garden Island, pulled up at the gate and showed the person on guard duty our pass the travelled across the bridge to the submarine wharf. When we pulled up there were other wives and girlfriends there waiting patiently to see their men.
Finally they started to come ashore. Ava was jumping up and down and would not stand still. She was so excited as I had been telling her all week that Grant was coming home.
Ava called him Daddy.
Then as I looked up I saw Grant walking towards us. My heart jumped a little as it had been such a long time since I had seen him. He went straight to Ava and picked her up and kissed her on the cheek then he came over and hugged me and kissed my forehead.
"I've missed you both" Grant said and we responded the same.
We all got in the car and drove home.
If you don't know the Oberon class submarine is a diesel submarine so you can imagine what Grant smelt like, that's right diesel and it was really strong. You only have to go in the submarine for a minute and you will come out smelling this way so for him being at sea for such a long time everything in his bag also smelt strongly of diesel.
When we got home Grant just wanted to sit down. Ava needed a nap so I took her to her room so she could have a rest, all the excitement and being up so early had tuckered her out.
While Grant had been away I had been spending a lot of time with Kelly. We would go out on Saturday nights and I had made a lot of friends. As I worked at the bank I couldn't really go out during the week and also I didn't like to leave Ava, however Kelly had no problem leaving her children.
"Emily! Come I want to show you the video of my trip" Grant called out to me, I had made my way to the kitchen so I could get us a cup of tea. When I got to the lounge room Grant had the video set up and as I sat down he pressed play. I snuggled up to him and watch as his trip passed by. He had been around Australia and stopped at most of the ports along the way. "This is Cairns" Grant told me as we got to scenery of Palm trees and surf. The video continued for some time with both Grant and all the boys featuring saying stupid things as boys do along the way. Then it jumped to a boat trip, during the entire video so far Grant had filmed it himself but on this one part there was footage of Grant and he was sitting next to some girl at first I didn't think anything of it. "Don't film.." Grant said in the video as it jumped to a part of him going in to the water. This is when I saw that he had a huge look of concern on his face. I felt Grant looking at me but as I looked over he moved his head as if to not recognise my movement. Then there was underwater footage filmed by someone else. This footage showed Grant in diving gear and swimming along then all of a sudden it shows him holding hands with that girl!
I jumped up "who was that and what was that?" I yelled a bit heart broken. "No one Emily it was just a girl one of the boys met over in cairns, I was helping her". "Bullshit, the look on your face says it all. You didn't think this was going to be filmed, maybe you should have checked it before you showed me you idiot!" I retaliated.
Grant tried to tell me lies so I called Jamie one of the boys on the submarine. Jamie said he didn't want to say anything and I took the tone in his voice as saying "yes he cheated on you Emily" Jamie never said the words but it was definitely in his tone. I grabbed Ava and went to visit Kelly. I told her what had happened and she said we could stay there.
Later that night I went to visit Grant and have it out but he continued to lie and kept changing his story. I was not having any of it. I told him I wanted a divorce. He started to cry and say sorry but he had done the wrong thing and now the trust was gone. If he had just flirted it may have been different but this was more than that and after everything I had been through I definitely was not putting up with this.
We stayed with Kelly for a few weeks while I got myself and Ava a house.
Two of my new found friends said they would rent a room as they were a couple and it would definitely help me out. The day we were to move in I called Grant and told him I was coming to get my things. He wasn't happy and said he wanted to be there. When we arrived he was standing inside. I had three boys with me all friends and partners of my girlfriends. I walked past Grant in to Ava's room. I packed all her clothes and undid her bed so the boys could take it out to the truck I had hired. Everything in Ava's room was taken as I had purchased it all and it belonged to Ava. I then walked in to What was our room and packed my clothes and shoes etc. I left everything else. Grant started yelling at me "which one of these guys are you fucking?" I looked him in the eyes and said calmly " I'm not the one who cheated Grant, you did this not me, don't make me out to be the bad one" as I looked out the door one of the boys was watching quietly from just behind the wall. I went to walk out carrying the bag I had packed when Grant grabbed the bag and ripped it from my hand then he grabbed my arms and pushed me up against the wall with force and I hit my head. I had tears well up in my eyes, just then one of the boys walked in and punched him off me " don't touch her again" he said very calmly.
Grant was furious but he didn't respond. I was guided out of the room and the guy grabbed my bag for me. I walked out the front with the boys following closely behind "leave the fucking keys here" Grant yelled at me so I turned and handed him the keys.
As I got in the first car and closed the door I broke down. This was the worst feeling, if I had been there alone what would have happened? I couldn't think about that and I tried to shake it from my mind. I had tears rolling down my face the entire time in the car.
So I had left all the furniture that we jointly purchased but I didn't want anything from him. I also left him our property that we had purchased together as I didn't want anything coming back on me. It was just Ava and I against the world again....