When Sierra is in mom-mode, trying to get her kids off to school, she finds a sticky note on her husband’s car that makes her question where he had been the entire weekend. Wanting answers, she phones the number on the note and slowly, secrets unravel with her marriage.
It was a typical Monday morning. I was in my mom zone, trying to get the kids off to school on time. That’s when a piece of pink paper changed everything.
I had just put the kids into the car and was about to put their lunch bags and backpacks in with them when I saw the bright pink sticky note plastered on the trunk of my husband’s car.
I paused, my heart pounding, and walked over to read it.
“Sit tight,” I told the kids. “I’m coming now! I just want to see what’s on Dad’s car.”
“Okay, Mom,” Natasha shouted from the backseat.
Sorry, I scratched your car last night. You shouldn’t park on the street though! -Neighbor from 283. This is my number in case you need anything!
Confusion and nausea washed over me. We don’t live near a house with that number, and my husband, Thomas, always parked in our garage.
“What was it?” my daughter asked when I slid into the driver’s seat.
“Nothing, honey,” I said. “Just a piece of paper that got stuck on Dad’s car.”
Tom had just returned from a business trip this morning, so his car should have been parked at the airport the entire weekend.
My mind raced, and a sinking feeling settled in my stomach.
I knew that something was about to change.
“Enjoy your day, babies!” I said as the kids got out of the car at drop-off.
“Don’t forget, we have to make cookies for school tomorrow,” Natasha reminded me. “We need likе sixty cookies, Mom.”
I left the kids and drove to the grocery store, needing to get everything for the cookies that we needed to bake.
“Can I help you, ma’am?” a young woman asked me as I walked up and down the baking aisle. She tied the grocery store’s apron tightly onto her.
“No, thank you,” I said absentmindedly. “I’m just browsing.”
But my mind just couldn’t stay focused at all. What was Thomas playing at?
I filled up the cart as I went up and down the aisle, getting enough ingredients for everything we needed and then paid.
Then, I decided to call Thomas and just check in.
“Hi, honey,” I said the moment he picked up.
“Hey, Sierra,” he said. “Are you okay? I’m just getting into a meeting now. I’ll speak to you later.”
And he cut the call.
“What on earth is going on?” I said aloud as I picked up gummy worms for Jake, my son.
Later, I picked up the kids and made toasted sandwiches while Natasha and I baked for her class.
“Is everything okay, Mom?” Natasha asked, mixing in the chocolate chips. “You’re not helping Jake with homework.”
“He didn’t mention us? His family?” I asked.
Mary shook her head.
“No, he told me he was single. We met at a local market, and we’ve been seeing each other for a few months now. But he did say that work has been hectic recently. So we haven’t seen each other very often.”
“I’ll tell him that I cooked,” she told me as I left her home. “That usually gets him here.”
I left the kids with my mother and drove to Mary’s house, ready to catch Thomas in the act. When he arrived, Mary kissed him at the door.
My stomach turned, but I snapped the picture anyway. Then, I stepped out of my hiding place.
“Thomas,” I demanded. “What the hell is this?”
His face turned pale.
“Sierra, what are you doing here?”
Mary crossed her arms, glaring at him.
“You lied to both of us, Thomas,” she said. “How could you? And you have children?”
On the day that the papers were finally signed, I felt the biggest sense of relief and empowerment.
Sure, my heart was broken, and so was my home. But as I was trying to fix myself, my children stepped in, ready to fill my life with the joy that only children can.
As for Thomas? He moved back in with his parents. He didn’t even put up a fight to make things better.
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