The End. (standard:romance, 1102 words)
Author: Murdoc	Added: Dec 27 2009	Views/Reads: 2895/1815	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A concise tale of a young man dealing with his mixed emotions for his ex-wife after a bitter divorce, feeling of loss, and his inability to "see into the future" so to speak now that she is gone.

The End. 

Brad sits at work patiently awaiting his shift to end, anxious about a
scheduled meeting with Shana to return the rest of her belongings to 
her. The beep of the cell phone startles him. A voicemail from Shana. 
He cringes, afraid to see the possibly hateful remarks it could reveal. 
The first time they'd spoke since court she told him that she only 
wanted to hear his name if it was in the obituaries. The few times 
they'd spoken in between had been strictly business. However, he is 
surprised to hear very warm, passionate words. “Merry Christmas” she 
wishes him, as she goes on about how much she feels for him and his 
family for taking care of his ailing grandfather, whom she misses 
dearly. She adds that Brad is an amazing man and that she is sorry for 
all that has happened.  Brad immediately calls her, agreeing and 
responding equally as warm, telling her that he's sorry everything 
ended the way it did and that he hopes she finds someone that will take 
care of her, and no to settle for “just some jerk”. 

Although Brad knows that their marriage is completely over, he is elated
at the possibility that she may still have feelings for him. He tries 
to maintain focus on the fact that there is no way that it would work 
between them, remembering how manipulative and scheming she can be. 
There is the likelihood that she could only be trying to win him back 
because she has no one else. 

“I don't want to believe that”, deducing that the only way for that to
not be true would be if she doesn't have feelings for him, and only 
wants to end things the right way.  However, he fears that the loving 
exchange has rekindled old feelings. Trying to focus on closing this 
chapter of his life, he faces reality and admits that only bad would 
come from the two getting back together. 

Later that night, Brad gets incredibly stoned with an old friend from
high school, and has a dark vision of how his life would be if he got 
back together with Shana.  He dreams of their neglected child which has 
to be raised by his sister, a broken down, miserable, bitter version of 
himself, and a dismal, substance abusing Shana, living in her nearly 
condemned home as she fails to care for her other fatherless children. 
He shrugs off the gloomy premonition as he goes to work the next day. 

As the evening rolls on, he thinks more and more about the meeting with
Shana, and how exactly it will play out. He worries that she is just 
playing him again, using her care for his grandfather as a facade to 
gain his sympathy, and open a window that could lead to them getting 
back together. He prays that her sentiments are sincere and that she 
actually has no interest in him, although he knows that this isn't what 
he wants. 

Running late, Brad speeds to the restaurant where he will meet Shana.
Along the way, probable scenarios of the meeting run through his head. 
Most of which contain Shana confessing that she still has feelings for 
him.  Brad fights within himself between what he secretly wants and 
what he knows is right. But by the time he arrives, he is completely 
overcome by the idea that she will try to get back together with him, 
and doesn't know if he will be strong enough to tell her No. In fact, 
it seems that he almost welcomes the thought. 

Brad gets out of his car and meets a noticeably thinner Shana in the
parking lot with the box of her things. It is the first time they've 
spoken in person since the divorce. He sets the belongings in her car 
and a teary-eyed Shana embraces him. She tells him how much she worries 
about his grandfather, that he is like the grandpa she never had, and 
that she wants him to let her know if anything ever happens to him. 
They reminisce about their life together, both in accord that it was a 
happy time. As they hold each other, a warmth comes over Brad that he 
hasn't felt for several months. He's caught into the moment, but 
notices the dreamy look she once had in her eye is gone. She lets him 
go, looking into the dark parking lot where they once held each other 
and believed that they'd be that way forever. 

"Our time was good while it lasted Brad. I don't regreat a
thing.....well maybe a few things." she says, referring to the affair. 
"but, we're both moving on and we're doin fine. I got the job in 
Newburg! I can't wait and...." 



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