“That’s not what I said.”
“It’s exactly the plan you just described.”
“So what? I’m homeless now?”
“No.”
I looked toward Melissa’s car.
“You have somewhere safe tonight. Your attorney can work with mine on the temporary arrangement.”
Lauren stared at me.
“You’re serious.”
“Yes.”
“About separation?”
“Yes.”
The anger disappeared from her face for the first time.
What replaced it was confusion.
She had interpreted the locks as retaliation.
The boxes as retaliation.
My refusal to give her a key as retaliation.
Now she understood I was not trying to win the argument.
I was deciding whether I wanted the marriage anymore.
“You’re kicking me out.”
“I’m not going to argue the legal language with you in a driveway.”
“Because you know you’re wrong.”
“Maybe I was wrong to change the locks.”
That surprised everyone.
I continued.
“My attorney told me that.”
Lauren blinked.
“So let me in.”
“The attorneys are handling temporary occupancy.”
“You’re hiding behind a lawyer now?”
“No.”
I looked at her.
“I’m making sure neither of us gets to decide the rules based on who is angrier.”
That landed.
Brooke went quiet.
Even Lauren had no immediate response.
She began loading boxes.
Melissa helped.
Brooke helped.
I helped with two of the heavier ones until Lauren told me not to.
Within twenty minutes both vehicles were nearly full.
Lauren stood beside the passenger door.
“I’ll contact you tomorrow.”