"Where were you? I was worried"

"We had to work late. I’m sorry baby, go back to sleep."

" Ok Ashley. I love you. See you in the morning."

" I love you too baby." He said as he climbed into bed. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I fell back to sleep.

" Morning baby." Ashley said walking into the kitchen, slipping his arms around my waist and giving me a kiss.

" Morning honey. When do you have to go to the studio?"

"Noon, why?"

" I have to pick up the kids from pre-school, and then I was thinking we could drop them off at your mom’s house and go out to lunch. Would that be ok?"

" I don’t know, I have a lot of work to do before I go into the studio."

"Ashley please. I never get to see you anymore. You’re always at the studio or working. I miss you." I was on the verge of tears. I was trying so hard not to let them fall.

" Ok, lunch sounds good. What time do you have to pick up the kids?"

" In an hour. Thank you so much Ashley." I said squeezing him tightly and kissing him.

" I’m gonna go take a shower ok?"

" Sure sweetie. Just be ready by 10:30."

" Ok."

" Yeah, just let me grab my shoes." I picked up my black slip-ons and we were out the door.

We drove to the pre-school lost in our own thoughts. We got there in five minutes. I was just unbuckling my seat belt when Ashley stopped me.

" I’ll get them."

"Ok." I saw him walk up to the sidewalk where they were both waiting with their respective teachers.

"DADDY!" Brian and Miranda said in unison. I smiled at them. Miranda held Ashley’s hand talking animatedly, while Brian was content just to be held by his daddy. He hadn’t been around much since they started their new album. It got lonely. Especially when he stayed at the studio all night. Ashley helped Brian and Miranda get buckled into their car seats. Then he climbed into the front seat and drove out of the parking lot.

" What did you guys do today? Did you have fun?" Miranda went on to tell me all about her exciting day. Brian fell asleep. We drove up to mom and dad’s house about ten minutes later.

" What’re we doing at Grammy and Granpa’s house mommy?"

" Your daddy and me are going out to lunch so you Grammy and Granpa are going to watch you for a little while."

" Ohhhh...ok" Miranda said. She hopped out of the car and rung the doorbell before I even had a chance to open my door. I smile at her hyperness and went to unbuckle the sleeping Brian. I carefully picked him up and brought him into their house. Ashley stayed in the car since I’d just be gone a second.

" Thanks for watching them mom." I said hugging my mother-in-law.

" Your welcome. You two have fun. Bye."

" We will. Thanks again." I said on my way out the door.

" So how are things coming along?" I asked on our way to ‘Quizno’s".

"Good."

" That’s good. Jacob mentioned that you hired a new engineer to mix the album."

" Yep."

" What’s his name?"

"Her name is Cassey."

" oh." I said. I didn’t ask anymore questions. We drove the rest of the way in silence. We finally got five minutes later.

" So what’s Cassey like? How old is she?"

" She’s really nice. 29 just like me. Why?"

" No reason, just curious."

" ok"

" Miranda’s class is putting on a play in two weeks. Are you going to come."

" Of course"

" Ok"

" How are Erik and Allison doing?"

" Their good. She finally stopped accusing him of cheating on her, which is good because he’s not."

" That’s good." We ate the rest of our lunch in silence.

" I should probably be going, I have to get to the studio soon."

" Ok, just drop me off at home. I’ll take my car to go get the kids."

" Ok" He dropped me off then sped off to the studio. I went and picked up the kids. When we got home I put both of them down for a nap and took one my self. I woke up around 3:00. I got both Miranda and Brian up. Brian played in his room with his toy trucks. Miranda immediately asked to go play next door with her best friend, Jordan. I called her home at six when it was time for dinner. I called Ashley on his cell phone and asked him if he’d be able to come home for dinner. He declined saying he had too much work. He always had too much work. I sighed dejectedly and sat down with the kids for dinner. I looked at his empty place and began to cry.

"Mommy? Mommy, what’s wrong?" Miranda asked getting out of her seat to come give me a hug.

" Nothing baby."

" Is it daddy?"

" I told you it was nothing Randa."

" But mommy you’re crying it has to be something. Did you get hurt? Can I kiss it and make it better?"

" Baby, mommy’s just sad because daddy had to work again. I’ll be fine."

" Ok mommy. I love you." She said kissing my forehead.

" There all better." She said smiling and going back to her own seat.

" Thank you baby. Now eat your supper."

We ate dinner in silence except from the occasional question from either Miranda or Brian. After dinner I gave them both a bath, read them bedtime stories and tucked them in. I had a little trouble from Brian though. He wanted daddy to sing him a song. He even cried when I told him daddy was working.

It was midnight and Ashley still hadn’t come home. I sighed and put my book down. I decided to just go on to bed. I got up to brush my teeth, I made sure my alarm was set and then I climbed into bed, after shutting the light off. It was around 3:00 in the morning when Brian came into my room and woke me up. He said he didn’t feel good. I felt his forehead and noticed that he was burning up. I went to go get the thermometer. When I got back Brian was throwing up on the bed. After his stomach calmed down I picked him up and put him in the rocking chair so that I could get the comforter off our bed. I took it into the utility room behind the bathroom and put it in the washer. When I came back I helped Brian onto the bed and took his temperature. 103.1degrees. I called Ashley’s mom and told her that I had to take Brian to the hospital. I didn’t even have to ask her to watch Miranda because she had already offered. She got there about five minutes later. I thanked her and left with Brian. We got to the hospital and were ushered into a room. I explained to the nurse what happened and she took all of Brian’s vitals, she left shortly after, saying that a doctor would be with us very soon. I was really worried about Brian and he wanted his daddy so I called down to the studio. No one picked up so I figured that they were either in the middle of doing something or they had left for the night. I decided to call Ashley’s cell phone.

"Hello?" huh

" Uh sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number." I said when a woman answered the phone. I shook my head and dialed hid number again.

" Hello?" huh? Why was a woman answering Ashley’s phone, and at three in the morning at that?

" Uhm, is this 574-4568?"

"Yes, who is this."

" This is Hayden, Ashley’s wife, who are you?"

" Oh! I’m Cassey. Do you want to talk to Ashley?"

" Yes." I waited until Ashley picked up the phone. " Hello?"

"Ashley?"

" Hayden? What is it?"

" Brian, he’s sick."

" Oh my god. Is he ok?"

" I don’t know we’re at the hospital waiting on the doctor." I heard giggling in the background. What in the world? I just looked at the phone and shook my head again.

" Hold on just a second." I heard him try to cover the phone. What he didn’t know was that he did a very bad job of it.

‘ Cassey stop. Hayden’s on the phone.’

‘ So? This means what to me? When are you leaving her. I can’t wait forever Ashley.’

I heard him let out a sigh.

‘ Not yet. Just wait a little longer. Please?’

‘ Fine, but only because it’s you.’ I heard them kiss.

Ashley got back on the phone and I restrained myself from crying for the moment.

" I’ll be down there in a minute ok Hayden."

" Don’t bother. You obviously have somewhere you’d rather be." I hung up the phone and broke down into tears.

I couldn’t believe it. He was cheating on me. How could he? Why would he? He was leaving me? I thought we were in love? I thought it was forever. How Could I have been this wrong? I pulled myself together when the doctor came in.

"Hello Mrs. Angel. I’m Dr. Jones."

"Hi Dr. Jones."

" I understand that Brian has a temperature of 103.1 degrees and he threw up?"

" Yes, that’s right." Dr. Jones nodded, he went over and looked over Brian.

" Mrs. Angel, Brian has the flu. Here’s a prescription for is nausea and his fever. If he’s not better in to weeks then take him to his regular doctor."

" Ok. Thank you." I picked up Brian and after signing all the necessary papers, we left. We got home around 5:00. Paula was sitting in the living room drinking coffee and reading when I got home. I smiled at her briefly before I went to put Brian in his bed. He had fallen asleep on the way back from the hospital. I came out a few minutes later to go talk to Paula. She had always been like a mother to me. Even more so after my mom passed away last year.

" How’s Brian is he going to be ok?"

" Yeah, he’ll be fine. He just has the flu. He should be better in a week or so." I said from the kitchen while pouring myself a cup of coffee. I sat down on the couch and looked up at the family portrait above the mantle piece. I started crying when I saw Ashley’s face.

" Hayden? What’s wrong?" Paula asked abandoning the rocking chair and coming to comfort me on the couch.

"It’s Ashley. He’s cheating on me." I said crying into her shoulder.

" Oh dear. Hayden how do you know?"

" I called him on his cell phone... abou... about Brian and Cassey ans...answered the phone. I told hi...him Brian was si...sick and he told me to ho...hold on. I heard him talking to Cass.....Cassey. She as...asked him when he was going to lea...leave me. He sai...said soon." I explained through sobs.

" Oh my, that’s awful. Hayden I’m so sorry." She said rocking me. I cried for awhile and then finally tried to pull myself together. That’s when I heard a car drive up in the driveway. The front door opened and Ashley stepped in.

" I better leave." Paula said, while standing up. She said good-bye to Ashley and then left.

" What are you doing here? Wouldn’t you rather be with Cassey?" I spat her name like it was venom.

" Hayden I..."

" Don’t," I said cutting him off. " I want you to get your stuff and I then I want you to leave. Whatever you can’t fit into a suitcase. I’ll pack and send wherever you want, but I want you gone. You can say good-bye to Miranda and Brian but then I want you gone and I want you out of here in an hour, absolutely no longer than that."

" Hayden please. You don’t mean that."

" Yes I do Ashley. I heard everything you and Cassey said and I want you to leave."

" But Hayden, that’s not fair. You can’t just ask me to up and leave at 5:30 in the morning."

" Nobody said life was fair Ashley. If it was we would’ve stayed in love forever."

" Hayden... please... don’t make this any harder."

" I’ll make it as damn hard as I want to. Now go, pack, leave, and don’t ever come back." He left the living room and went to pack. He was done in 15 minutes and went to say good-bye to the kids. I watched him say a tearful good-bye to them. I cried just watching them. I didn’t want him to go, but how could he stay? He had cheated on me. I couldn’t stand the thought that he had kissed another woman, much less held another woman in his arms. He gave me one last tearful glance and then left. I lost it after that. I broke down into complete hysterics on the living room floor.

Miranda eventually came out to see what was wrong. When I didn’t answer her she went to call her Grammy. Paula was over five minutes later. She tried to comfort me. Eventually I calmed down enough to go to bed. She offered to take care of the kids that day. I thanked her and fell asleep. I woke up around 3:00 and decided to go ahead and call my lawyer. I filed for divorce. The papers would be sent to here and then to Ashley once I had signed and returned them. Paula had taken Brian and Miranda back to her house. She offered to keep them for a few days while I packed up all of Ashley’s stuff and tried to pull myself together. I started with his clothes. I had just put the last shirt in a box when I noticed some of our wedding pictures on the bottom of his drawer. I took them over to the bed and looked through them. We’d gotten married on a chilly winter day in December. It had been a sunny day though, all our friends and family had been there. It had been so wonderful. I laughed as I remembered Trevor’s toast. I cried when I remembered Ashley’s. He’d said something being in love forever, and growing old together. I cried because that wasn’t going to happen now.

I packed up the rest of Ashley’s clothes and then went around the house picking up his things or anything that reminded me of him and packed it up in boxes. I cried myself to sleep that night. The next day and night were no different neither was the third, or fourth, or the rest of the week. Some nights I’d even wake up in the middle of the night due to some sad dream. They were always about Ashley and I always ended up in tears. Especially on Friday when I got the divorce papers in the mail. He had signed them all I had to do was take them down to my lawyer and it would be official. We had a court date in three weeks to decide custody. I had already decided to give him joint custody. The kids loved their daddy too much for me just to take them away from him.