Page 46 of Clinically Bewitched
“—how to balance logic and intuition and—”
“Athena.”
“—trust the universe while also understanding the physical world and—”
“We are not having children.”
She turned to look at me, her expression genuinely confused.
“Why not?”
“Because we’re not staying married.”
“The universe—”
“The universe,” I said, very carefully, very slowly, “is not in charge of my life. I am. And I am choosing to get an annulment. Which means no kids. No shared dog or cat. No future together. Just a legal dissolution of a mistake we made in Las Vegas.”
She was quiet for a moment.
Then she smiled.
That same bright, unbothered smile.
“We’ll see,” she said.
And went back to looking out the window.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to open the emergency exit and jump out.
I wanted to go back in time and punch my past self for even agreeing to go to Las Vegas.
But I couldn’t do any of those things.
So I just sat there, wedding ring stuck on my finger, marriage certificate in her bag, legally bound to a woman who thought the universe had personally arranged our meeting.
And tried not to think about what came next.
We landed in Hartford at 6:47 PM.
Seventeen minutes ahead of schedule, which should have made me happy—I loved it when things ran ahead of schedule—but instead just filled me with dread.
Because now I was home.
And I had to face everyone.
Fitz, who would laugh until he cried.
Gabriel, who would be concerned and professional and somehow make me feel worse.
Hayden, who would probably high-five me and then immediately regret it.
My sister, who would kill me.
Actually kill me.
And Athena would be there for all of it.
