The Journey Home Read Free Page B

feel of him that Don’s mind was on anything but napping. “Are you so sleepy that you can’t wait for me to finish getting this in the oven?”
    He kissed her neck now, which left Antoinette feeling as melted as one of the leeks. “I’m very, very sleepy.”
    â€œDinner won’t be as good if I leave it now.”
    â€œI can live with that,” he said, as he began to unbutton the back of her dress and Antoinette began to forget about dinner . . .
    The memory faded, but not the sensations that had accompanied the memory. The wonderful, deeply satisfying sensations. Antoinette pulled the
sheets up around her neck. Feeling the warmth of his presence in the place she had created for them, she drifted off to sleep. Today had been a very good day.

THREE
    Props
    â€œBecky told me last night that she was feeling very conflicted about having to choose between us.”
    Warren got out of the car wearing his Bluetooth earpiece. He hated how people looked when they wore these things in public, but he couldn’t get off the phone with Crystal just yet. “Does she realize that the other option would be not choosing between us?”
    â€œI mentioned that, but she’s taking this very hard. But get this. Do you know what she said? She said if it came down to it, she’d choose you.”
    Warren’s eyes flew open. “She said that?”
    â€œYou don’t have to sound so elated, you know. You didn’t just win the lottery here. And yes, she did say that. If she didn’t have the kids and the most perfect husband ever invented, I’d say she was planning to make a move on you.”
    â€œNot everything comes down to sexual dynamics, Crystal.”
    â€œI’m not saying that everything does. Just most things. We’ve had that conversation already; many times. The conversation we need to have right now is about the Fidelity fund.”

    Warren had been walking toward the door of the facility. Now he pivoted to sit on a bench. He didn’t want to be in the middle of this conversation in front of his mother or the staff. “I don’t understand how this is a negotiating point. I started that fund long before we were married.”
    â€œAnd in the last few years, I’ve contributed much more to it than you have. Especially in the last year. Have you even put a penny in there recently?”
    Warren’s eyes narrowed. “We both know why I haven’t put any money in there recently. In fact, you even agreed that it was the right decision.”
    â€œIt was the right decision. Especially after you moved out. That doesn’t change the fact that I have at least as much right to that account as you have.”
    Warren’s shoulders slackened. “I’m going to be living off of that account soon if I don’t find something.”
    â€œThen you should find something. Look, I’m willing to compromise. We liquidate the account and each take a share commensurate with the amount we originally invested.”
    It wasn’t that simple, and Crystal knew it. When they had been a team, they apportioned their salaries to different functions. In their flushest years, a chunk of his paycheck went toward the down payment for the bigger house, while a slice of hers went into the Fidelity account for a rainy day. They contributed equally to their retirement account. The rest went into their joint account to pay bills, save for vacations, and for the occasional impulsive expense. It wouldn’t be simple, or even appropriate, to sift
through this to learn how much of the Fidelity money was his, though he knew if they really did the math, it would turn out that he’d contributed at least eighty percent in one way or another.
    â€œI’m gonna have to sleep on this,” he said.
    â€œDon’t sleep too long. It’s time, Warren.”
    â€œYou’ll get no argument from me there.”
    â€œCall me about this