Girl Next Door

Memories

Brynn walked into her parents' empty house. They wanted to spend the day with Trevor, so she was left all alone. Divorced and by herself. Her brain knew it was the right choice, but her heart was starting to have doubts. She loved Adam, but he just wasn't right for her, at the moment. 

She strolled into the family room and picked up a photo album from the shelf. Her mom had spent years constructing it. As her time with Adam went by, her mom added more and more to the album. The twins being born, their wedding, birthdays, holidays, and every other big occasion that had happened over the course of their relationship. 

Brynn found a comfy spot on the love seat and began flipping through the book. She flipped through each page until she found the one she'd been looking for. Her and Adam's honeymoon. The happiest week of her life. All alone with the love of her life. No distractions. Just her and Adam. Alone. 

***

"C'mon Brynn! The water's great!" Adam shouted as he splashed the cool ocean water in the air. "Adam, I just want to get a nice, natural tan while we're out here," Brynn said as she slid her sunglasses down to the tip of her nose. "Baby, c'mon! Don't make me come get you!" Adam shouted over the sound of the crashing waves. "Come and get me!" Brynn shouted as she got up and ran back towards the beach house.

Adam ran out of the water and up towards his new wife. He knew that he could catch her. His feet pounded on the warm sand as he made his way up to her. He caught her and they both fell to the ground. Brynn looked up and saw her glorious new husband on top of her.

"I told you that I could catch you," Adam grinned down at her. "Well I did just have twins 3 months ago," Brynn said. "Please. Don't use that excuse. You got your gorgeous figure back a month after you had them," Adam swooned as he ran his hand down her bare abdomen. "Not right here on the beach Adam. You know that sand gets everywhere," Brynn smirked up at him. "Can we swim first?" Adam asked. "Fine," Brynn said as she smiled. 

Adam picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his back. He carried her down the beach and into the salty ocean water. He walked farther and farther into the ocean until the water was up to their chests. 

Brynn moved her hand to Adam's cheek as his arms snaked around her torso. "I love you Mr. Levine," Brynn said. "I love you too Mrs. Levine," Adam said before he pressed his lips against hers. Their lips moved together in unison. "I...think...the...swimming..can..wait," Adam said between kisses. "I agree," Brynn said before she felt Adam moving out of the water and up to the house.

She kicked the door shut behind them before Adam tossed her onto the bed. "Someone's anxious. It's not like this is our first time. We do have twins at home," Brynn said. "Yes, but this is our first time since you were 6 months pregnant," Adam said as he climbed onto her. "Well show me what I've been missing for the past 6 months," Brynn said before Adam's lips met hers and their clothes met the floor. 

***

Brynn ran her fingers over the pictures she had snapped on their honeymoon. The sunset picnics, their walks on the beach. Everything about that week had been perfect. She was so in love and so happy. She couldn't imagine being with any other man except Adam. They were perfect for each other, or so she thought.

She kept flipping through the pages of the scrapbook. Each page turned brought her closer to her breaking point. Each picture of her and Adam together brought her closer to tears. Then she saw the picture that really broke her. 

Adam holding Paisley the day she was born.

She had Paisley and slipped into a coma. She left Adam all alone to take care of twin 3 year olds and a newborn. He cared for them all while she was in the hospital wasting away to nothing. She felt the guilt and the pain go right through her heart as warm tears slid down her cheeks. 

She hadn't seen Paisley for the first few months of her life. When she finally came back to consciousness, the guilt ate her alive for weeks. She missed the first few months of her daughter's life. She felt terrible, even though the doctors said that nothing could've been done to prevent it. 

She thought about her kids now. She'd torn their family apart. They would never grow up to be part of a complete family like she'd been part of. They'd be like Adam growing up. Parents fighting and not getting along. She knew Adam never wanted them to get a divorce for this exact reason.

She didn't want a divorce either, but their marriage just wasn't working. There was no trust and no true love. Sure she loved him, but as the father of her kids. Not as her husband. She didn't feel like they were married while they still were. She wasn't feeling the love anymore. She didn't trust him anymore. And those were the two main components of a relationship. And their relationship had lost both.

She wasn't happy in their relationship anymore. She felt like she was only staying for her kids. She only held on as long as she did for her kids. She knew how much the divorce would hurt Adam, but she couldn't stay stuck in a loveless marriage. 

She needed to move on. Not only for herself, but for her kids too. She needed a companion and they would need a father figure on the days when they weren't with Adam. Sure, moving on would be hard, but Brynn knew that she needed to move on.

Brynn shut the scrapbook and put it back on the shelf. She couldn't take all the memories coming flooding back into her brain. They were overwhelming her and she needed to stop. She looked down at her left hand and saw the 2 white rings that were left there. After years of those rings never leaving her finger, she was left with a tan line memory. A permanent memory until the sun evened it out and the white lines were gone.

She needed to move on. It's what's best for her. If she didn't, she didn't know how much more she could handle before she hit rock bottom.