PART 16 – When Faron Finally Asked Me What I Wanted From Him, I Realized He Still Didn’t Understand What He Had Taken

Friday evening, Faron sent me a message.

He asked whether we could meet.

I didn't answer immediately.

A few minutes later, another message arrived.

He said he wanted to talk without arguing.

I considered ignoring him.

But I was tired of receiving half conversations through my phone.

So I agreed to meet in a public place.

We chose a small coffee shop near the main road.

I arrived first.

I ordered a coffee and sat near the window.

The place smelled like toasted bread.

There were two older men talking quietly near the counter.

I watched cars pass outside.

Then Faron walked in.

He looked tired.

His fishing shirt was wrinkled.

He saw me and came over.

"Hi, Ange."

"Hello."

He sat down.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he asked how work was going.

"Fine."

He nodded.

"Peg still giving you plenty of hours?"

"Yes."

He looked at the table.

"I heard she's been taking your side."

I took a sip of coffee.

"Peg knows me."

He rubbed his hands together.

"I don't want this to turn into something ugly."

"Neither do I."

He leaned forward.

"Then why don't we fix the card situation?"

I looked at him.

There it was again.

The reason he had asked to meet.

I put my cup down.

"What do you want me to fix?"

He sighed.

"Just help me get another card."

I stared at him.

"Faron, you still don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"I spent eleven years paying for you and your mother."

He looked away.

"You offered."

I nodded slowly.

"I did."

He seemed surprised that I agreed.

"But I thought I was helping my husband. I didn't think I was signing up to pay for everything forever."

He leaned back.

"Things were hard after the shop closed."

"I know."

"You know what happened."

"I was there."

He rubbed his forehead.

"I couldn't get back on my feet."

I looked at him.

"Then why didn't you try to stand?"

He didn't answer.

I continued.

"You had years to find a way to contribute. You kept spending. You kept using the cards. You never asked whether I was managing."

He looked irritated.

"I never told you to work extra shifts."

"No. You just kept spending."

He stared at the table.

For a moment, I thought he might apologize.

Instead, he asked what I wanted from him.

I looked at his face.

I wanted him to understand.

I wanted him to remember the woman who waited for him after work and shared pie in his truck.

I wanted him to understand that she had been trying to save their marriage while he was treating her income as his own.

But I couldn't make him understand something he didn't want to see.

"I wanted you to care that I was paying."

He said nothing.

"I wanted you to notice when I was struggling."

He moved his coffee cup.

"I didn't realize you felt that way."

I looked at him.

"You never asked."

The silence lasted a long time.

Then he asked whether I would reconsider the cards.

I shook my head.

"No."

He looked disappointed.

I stood up.

"I hope you figure things out, Faron."

He didn't stand.

I left some money on the table for my coffee.

Outside, the air was cold.

I walked to my car without looking back.

When I got home, I took the folder from the kitchen drawer.

I checked the bank letters one more time.

Everything was closed.

Everything was documented.

Then I placed the folder beside the divorce papers.

I wasn't waiting for Faron to understand anymore.

I had spent enough years waiting.

Click here to continue reading: PART 17: After Our Coffee Shop Conversation, I Stopped Waiting for an Apology and Started Making Plans for a Life That Didn’t Include His Bills