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Reno stood by the window watching the deep orange rays of the slowly setting sun stream into his office. It was Sunday evening and he contemplated how he would show up at Wendy's place to pick up his daughter who spent the entire one-month holiday there without answering the same questions he'd been asking himself. Why did Kayla leave him?
It was the greatest shock of his life, receiving the divorce papers. It shouldn't have come as a surprise in the first place, considering that Kayla had been distant weeks before but he assumed it was a hormonal thing. The arrival of the papers made sense yet it was something he never thought would happen to him. Ever.
He and Kayla loved each other so much. His family couldn't believe it, especially his sister, Wendy.
Another questionable part of the divorce was Kayla did not want custody of their only daughter, Diana. She was confident he could take care of her. School would resume the following day and he was dreading how he would care for her and attend to his work as well. Diana agreed to spend the holiday with Aunt Wendy so he could deal with the separation.
Reno combed his fingers through his hair in frustration as he drove over to Wendy's apartment. Diana rushed out, hugged him and dragged him into the house. "Come in Dad. Aunt Wendy's prepared something delicious for you!"
He put on a brave face and grinned. "Is that so?"
Wendy met him in the dining room and pecked him on the cheek. "Sit, brother. I have news for you." She said and gave Diana a knowing look. His daughter jogged upstairs.
When Diana was out of earshot, he asked, "That's mysterious. What news?" Wendy sat beside him and sighed, giving him a pitiful look. "Now I'm worried. What is it, Wendy? Did something happen to Diana during the holiday?"
"No, not Diana. It's your wife, Kayla." Wendy paused for dramatic effect. Reno's expression betrayed his expectation and thirst for any news of his wife since she refused to see or talk to him.
"Did you speak with her?" He asked in an almost sub-vocal tone, the pain of the separation reflected in his eyes.
"I threatened I would not leave until she told me the whole truth behind the separation and divorce. Kayla has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that I can't pronounce."
"What?"
"Calm down. I saw the report from the doctor, Reno. Something that has to do with her muscles and immune system which means some years of hospital visits, surgeries and therapy if they are successful. She did not want to cause you any pain hence the papers…"
Reno was already pacing the dining room. "And is she not causing me an unbearable pain now?" He retorted as tears pooled in his eyes. He glanced up, blinking so they would not fall. He looked at his sister. "How could I have missed the signs?"
"No, no," Wendy hurriedly stood on tiptoes and hugged him. "I will not let you blame yourself or her. I know Kayla loves you and believed she was doing the right thing."
"She should have talked to me. Instead, she sent me divorce papers!"
"Cut her a little slack. She wanted to spare you the arduous task of caring for her while her daughter watched her waste away."
Reno leaned heavily into his sister. The embrace that came at a time he most needed it. How could Kayla have kept this vital information from him? Yes, his wife was tough. She represented strength, spirit and pride. And now some genetic disorder threatened to make her helpless which was something she couldn't stand.
"Diana!“ He whispered, breaking the connection between them.
"You must let her be tested. We must know," Wendy insisted.
That night, Reno parked in front of Kayla's apartment. He watched as the door opened and his beautiful wife stepped out. Despite her perfect makeup and hair, her sad amber eyes and smile gave off a genuine warmth.
Reno stepped out of the car and walked up to her. The couple gazed at each other for a long moment. "You did not trust me," he whispered as a flash of temper crossed his eyes. Kayla fell into his arms and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her without a thought.
"I am so, so sorry, my love," she whispered into his ears. "Forgive me?"
Reno took his wife back home, determined to have her by his side and deal with the health challenge head-on, no matter what the end may be.
I hope you enjoyed reading this short story. It is my response to The Ink Well Prompt #90 inspired by the prompt "spirit".