Page 72 of Novel Problems
“Really well. Thanks, Paul,” I replied, smiling. Three months ago, I couldn’t have fathomed that I’d be saying that and actually meaning it, especially not immediately before meeting Tania for the talk I’d been avoiding for just as long.
“Hannah.” I turned to see Tania just behind me.
She had the same short, dark brown bob, the same black-rimmed glasses, and was wearing her usual shirt and custom-tailored pantsuit —today it was a white shirt paired with a navy suit and brown Oxford shoes. Even in her flat footwear, Tania was a few inches taller than me. She held herself with the same self-assurance I used to find so attractive. She looked so familiar, but at the same time, she felt like a stranger. Any connection between us had disappeared. Paul had disappeared as well. I didn’t blame him.
“Hi,” I said. We stood awkwardly, staring at each other.Shit. I’d prepared for our talk, but not this initial reunionpart. What is the etiquette here?I didn’t want to hug her. But a handshake felt too formal and business-like.
“Should we get a table?” Tania asked briskly, raising an eyebrow.
“Sure,” I said, leading the way toward a table by the window. Previously, Tania’s curt tone would have put me on edge, but it was empowering to realize that I no longer cared what she thought of me, and as a result, her ability to hurt my feelings had weakened substantially. Despite that breakthrough, my chest was still tight with nervousness about how our conversation would go.
We took a seat and studied the menu in silence, even though we both knew it by heart and always ordered the same thing—a croissant with strawberry jam. Jean-Jacques was an institution—an institution that didn’t see the need to ever change the menu.
Paul reappeared, standing next to the table, darting his eyes between Tania and me as if he was worried we’d make a scene in the middle of Jean-Jacques’s usually peaceful morning service, and he’d be forced to eject us. He’d clearly heard about the divorce, or noticed my absence for the last few months and put two and two together. “Would you like the usual?”
Tania nodded. I opened my mouth to agree, but a desire to try something new washed over me. “You know what, I think I’ll try the croque monsieur today. And a decaf latte.” I handed the menu back to Paul with a smile.
For some reason, my decision to mix up my order gave me a confidence boost.
“Thanks for agreeing to meet me on such short notice. And I’m sorry that I haven’t gotten in touch earlier,” I said, hoping my opening made it clear to Tania that I was ready for a calm and reasonable conversation.
“That’s okay.” Tania pressed her lips together. “I understand it couldn’t have been easy for you how things ended.”
I smiled. “It all worked out for the best.” And I really meant it. If Tania hadn’t cheated on me, then I’d likely still be living here in an unhappy marriage. My new life in Sapphire Springs was a thousand times better.
“Really?” Tania studied me closely, clearly unable to keep the note of surprise out of her voice. “Well, that’s good.”
“I’ve got the list of assets you sent me on my laptop. I was thinking I could pull it out, and we could go through them one by one? If there are things we both want, perhaps we can make a separate list of them, and then at the end try to divide them up fairly?”
Tania glanced at her watch. “Yes. Let’s get moving,” she said, her voice business-like.
We spent the next forty minutes working our way through the list while we ate our breakfast. The croque monsieur was to die for and, in my opinion, significantly more delicious than the jam croissant. By the time we’d reached the end of the list, there were only a few items—including the painting of our dog, Henry, and a mid-century modern armchair we’d bought at a vintage store—that we both loved.
We ordered another round of coffees and then dived into the most challenging part of our meeting—how to divide up the objects we both wanted.
We went through item by item, speaking about what each one meant to us. A few times, Tania’s tone turned biting as she argued for the objects she wanted, but I kept calm, and eventually, we were able to reach an agreement on everything on the list. It felt like we’d reached a fair andreasonable compromise, even if we both weren’t getting everything we wanted.
After a few minutes of polite small talk, Tania stood. “Well, I’d better get to work. Good to see you, Hannah.” She pressed her lips into a weak smile. “Send me your address, and I’ll have it all delivered.”
She took a step and then turned to me. I steeled myself for a biting final remark.
“Oh, and Hannah. You seem…different. More assertive. It looks good on you.”
I blinked as she turned around and headed toward the door. I didn’t need Tania’s approval anymore, but the fact that she’d noticed a change in me was strangely satisfying, even if it also felt slightly condescending.
After saying goodbye to Paul, I walked back to the station. A weight had been lifted off my chest. It was just past 9 a.m., and I’d already managed to knock off two conversations that had been hanging over my head for months or, in my parents’ case, years. Energized, I called my lawyer to see if she could fit me in after my therapist session this afternoon to update my will. Since I was accomplishing goals today, I might as well cross another task off my list. I’d been meaning to remove Tania from it for months, and the will needed to be signed and witnessed in person, so today seemed like the perfect opportunity.
On the subway back to my hotel, I mindlessly scrolled on Instagram, pausing at a gorgeous photo of a beach at sunset.When George hires another staff member, I wonder if she’d be interested in a beach vacation. We could get a cute Airbnb, read books while lounging on the sand, even practice our kayaking skills…I smiled at the thought, looking at the photo more closely, and did a double-take when I realized Ben had posted it late last night, and the location was Fire Island.
My heart plummeted.Shit.
I clicked on his account and went to his stories, where there was a photo of five men, one of them him, at a pool, also on Fire Island. If Ben was at Fire Island, then George was seriously understaffed. George and I had struggled when I’d first started working at Novel Gossip with just the two of us working front of house, and the café would be even busier this week with summer break starting. George and Josie would be completely under water without either Ben or me to help.That’s the last thing George needs while her mom is visiting.Guilt washed over me.
As soon as I got back to the hotel, I packed my bags. If I hurried, I could probably make it back to Sapphire Springs before the lunch rush. After checking out, I walked as fast as I could to Grand Central, where I bought a ticket for the next Hudson Line train, which was leaving in ten minutes. I considered calling or texting George to let her know I was on my way back, but I didn’t want to distract her. She’d have enough on her plate opening Novel Gossip.
Instead, while I waited for the train, I canceled my therapist and lawyer appointments this afternoon. This time, I wasn’t putting them off out of fear of a difficult conversation. I was putting it off so I could be there for George. And that was more than enough of a reason.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
