Are You Happy Now? - Part 2 (Completed)

Chapter 8-Part 2: "Everything Comes and Goes"

...continued from previous chapter

A week later

After their conversation, in which Taylor had informed Natalie he was leaving her and asking for a divorce, she had asked Taylor to leave. He had done so without arguing. She'd called Kate and asked her to come over and watch the kids while she packed. Natalie had refused to tell Taylor where she was going, or to tell the kids what was going on. He'd learned from an angry Kate later that day that Natalie had taken herself and the kids to Georgia, to her mom's, where she thought she could get some much needed advice and time to think. Taylor couldn't blame her. Asking for a divorce had been a big blow to her, and he wanted to give her all the time she needed to decide. Taylor couldn't bear to stay in his empty house without his wife and kids, so he'd been staying at Isaac and Nikki's the whole week.

Taylor knew there was a chance Natalie could refuse a divorce, but he chose to believe that, in the end, she'd agree to one. The alternative was too hard to think about. Taylor just told himself that he just needed to give her time to process all he was asking and why.

Taylor wanted desperately to tell Michelle that he had asked Natalie for a divorce, but he knew a smarter way to go about it was to wait until Natalie had agreed to the divorce, maybe even wait until it was final.

Taylor hadn't spoken to Michelle since November when he had gone to see her and admitted to her he was too scared to leave Natalie, and then had asked her to be his mistress, and Michelle had decided to end their affair. Taylor had changed his mind obviously, but only hoped Michelle would forgive him for that ill-advised idea.

Natalie had wasted no time in telling the entire family that Taylor wanted a divorce. Taylor figured it was her way of shaming him, and he figured he deserved it but, as stressful as it was, answering questions from family and relatives and having to explain himself and why he wanted a divorce, he felt a certain weight lifted off his shoulders because he didn't have to hide it anymore.

There was a conversation Taylor still had to have and he wasn't looking forward to it. He had to talk to his kids about the divorce. He was sure Natalie had not told them yet - she'd promised not to when she left. He wanted to sit them down at his house and explain himself in person. It was only a matter of time before family mentioned it to them. Though everyone seemed on the same page that protecting them at this time, until Taylor and Natalie had a chance to discuss how to tell them, was important. He hoped Natalie would answer his calls so he could explain to her how important this was to him.

He was divorcing Natalie, whether his family and friends approved of it or not.

Natalie hadn't been responding to Taylor's calls and he figured that was her right and was to be expected. He knew he'd thrown her a major curveball and it was going to take time. But now it had been a week and Taylor thought it was time they had the conversation that needed to happen. He was desperate to talk to his kids too. He missed them greatly. He wanted to get the process of the divorce started. He knew it was going to be complicated but he was up to the challenge.

That Monday Taylor lucked out because for the first time since Natalie had left, she picked up the phone.

"Natalie?" Taylor said, surprised.

"Taylor."

She sounded different. Taylor couldn't place it, but there was something different about her voice.

"Hey," he said gently. "Thank you so much for answering."

"You're welcome," Natalie replied after a moment. Then added, "What can I do for you, Taylor?"

Taylor realized then that she sounded like a stranger. There was no familiar kindness in her voice he always heard when he spoke to her.

Taylor took a deep breath. This was so difficult, no matter how much he'd prepared himself for this.