“The idea of us getting back together, Aaron, honestly, I don’t want to hurt you. I know you might not believe that but it’s true. However, we’re over. You didn’t hurt me. You destroyed me. I picked myself up, put myself back together, and came out of that stronger, seeing the mistakes I made in the past. I’m delighted that from the love we once had we made a son we both adore. But there is no longer anything there. I have a man in my life I’m coming to care about enormously. He treats me well, and he’s falling in love with our boy. Truthfully, if you care about me at all, you not only will allow me to have that but want it for me. And with that, this conversation is over. I just ask that you please think on all I’ve said. And I ask you, when you bring Travis back to me on Monday, that you also bring my things. Now, have a good evening.”

With that, not knowing if it was the right thing to do not to let him get a word in, and concerned it wasn’t, I disconnected the call.

I put the phone down not only uneasy about essentially hanging up on Aaron and how he’d react to that, but downright worried about that entire conversation.

He might or might not be breaking up with Tory (but it seemed he was).

He might or might not after I’d said my piece wish to get back with me.

But he also might be saying these things to buy time to look into me in order to come to our meeting, or to court, with whatever ammunition he felt he needed, dragging in anyone he felt would aid his cause, and at his sole discretion dragging down everyone that he felt he could use to get what he wanted.

I looked around my lovely kitchen, which I’d yet to really take in.

It was at least three times the size of the kitchen at my old apartment, and in that moment I realized it wasn’t a lot smaller than the kitchen I had in the house I’d lived in with Aaron.

A house his parents bought us for our wedding. A house I hadn’t even viewed before it was given to me as a big surprise present with all the fanfare his father made of it as we stood on the dance floor at our reception with him and his wife making the grand announcement. And after we returned from Massachusetts, I was moved into it.

I wandered out of the kitchen, into the dining room/living room and gazed around.

My furniture fit here. The furniture I’d picked that was attractive and welcoming and comfortable, it fit in this house.

Perfectly.

Like I’d bought it for right here.

This was my place.

This was me.