Soundtrack for this chapter:
My Way—Frank Sinatra*
The Chain—Fleetwood Mac
Colder Weather—Zac Brown Band

27

Jules

The day after Christmas, I woke to the distant notes of a familiar Sinatra song being played out on the piano. He only played in the morning when he had a rough night, but after celebrating the best Christmas ever, I didn't see how anything in the world could have gotten him down.

I padded down the steps of Theo's home, humming all the way down along to the music. When I got to the bench, he slid over, fingers never lifting from the keys, and I sat beside him. As he entered the next chorus, I sang just loud enough for him to hear.

Any one of Sinatra's songs could be considered his greatest, but as Theo played and as I sang, I recognized why that one was my favorite. All of my life I'd wanted to do things my way, just to be told that my way was the most unacceptable thing I could have ever fathomed. But, then, I was finally granted the chance to really do something my way, to take my life into my own hands for the remainder of it; I hoped I'd get to live a wonderfully long life with Theo.

When his fingers pressed out the final notes, his lips came down onto my head.

"Jules?"

"Hm?"

"Will you please let my dad help you?"

I turned to face him on the bench, a half smile on my mouth. "So that's what this was? Entice me with a Sinatra wakeup just to bring me crashing back into reality?"

"You said we could discuss it after Christmas, and, well, it's after Christmas. I want you to be free from all of their shit, Jules. You deserve that much."

"I too would like to be free from their, um, shit, but I don't believe it's going to be that easy."

"Dad will make it easy. Or, at least, as easy as he can. Just talk to him. If he can't represent you, he can at least give you some legal advice."

"I can't—"

"You can. Remember when he fixed your guitar? I told you, he'd consider it an insult if you tried to pay him. Just, please, Jules. Do this for yourself. Get the information, the correct information, you need before moving forward."

"I just wanted to be able to do this on my own, to—"

He put his hands up between us. "Everyone needs help sometimes, Jules. Everyone needs to utilize their resources and take assistance when it's being offered to them. It doesn't make you any less of a person to admit that you need help in this; you're going to need help with this."

But I couldn't hold back the one fear I was repressing most anymore. "And what exactly will your parents think of me after all of this? I'll be nothing more than a married woman who deceived their son into entering into an adulterous relationship."

His eyes softened. "Is that really what you think? No one would blame you for leaving that fucking prick. No one would think less of you after hearing about what a shitshow your marriage was. You're not an adulterer, Jules. Don't ever consider yourself that."

His right hand came up and swept a single tear from my cheek.

"I just don't want them to hate me, or be disappointed in me. I don't want to lose your family any less than I want to lose you."

"You're not going to lose any of us. Dad has dealt with far crazier situations. He's your answer to this."

I felt my head nodding in Theo's direction, but I was still so unsure. Losing the connection I had with his parents would be worst thing to come out of that conversation.

***

That evening, Theo drove us to his parents' house for leftover Christmas dinner, but my stomach was so full of nerves that I was barely able to get down a single slice of ham.

His mother noticed, and she sent Theo a less than subtle look across the table, but he just waved her off. After dinner, Theo's dad made himself a cup of tea and went into the study just off their living room. Theo nudged me with his shoulder, and I took it as my cue.

He leaned into my ear. "Want me to come with you?"

But I shook my head at him. I needed to do it on my own. If I was going to enter a solo battle with Will, I figured my conversation with his dad would be good practice. I excused myself from the table and crept over to the study, heart beating forcibly within my chest.

The door was wide open, and Theo's dad was reclined in an arm chair reading a newspaper. I tapped on the door frame until he peered up.

"Come on in, Jules. Have a seat."

"Um, thanks. Sorry, I don't mean to bother you. I just...I have a few questions about something and I was wondering if you could help me answer them. They, um, they have to do with, well, legal stuff."

A warm smile graced his face. "You can ask anything you like. With how happy you make Theo, you're family to us, Jules."

A different kind of tears than I was expecting were building behind my eyes. "Thanks, Davin. I guess I should start with some background."

I then proceeded to tell him about everything: our parents basically setting us up, his (and their) desire for children when I was just twenty-three, the failed counseling attempts, the failed divorce attempts, even about the conversations I'd recorded of Will; those were something I was sure he'd be displeased about, but he took everything in without a single note of judgement on his face.

"I can't hire a lawyer from Savannah because my family and his are too connected and Will was able to bribe the attorney I had hired into not working with me, so I think my only option is to try to represent myself."

"First, I'd like you to take a deep breath. That's a lot of information you've just given me, and I can only imagine what it's like to be holding onto this kind of stress for so long."

I took his suggestion, realizing that I'd spoken so quickly about everything that I was nearly out of breath.

"Second, I need to ask you a few questions. Did Will know you were recording him?"

I shook my head. "He wouldn't have said anything out of line if he had known. Does that mean I can't use them in court?"

"Well, it's going to depend on some things. There are exceptions to pretty much every rule, but typically out of court statements are not admissible in court. Due to the nature of the conversations you've shared with me, I can see a judge wanting to hear the tapes should Will deny he ever made such remarks, but that's nothing I can guarantee."

"Okay, well, that's something, I guess. Though...if Will was able to get to my attorney, I guess there's no stopping him from trying to get to the judge as well." Yet another roadblock.

"What your attorney did was highly unethical—illegal, actually. I'd be hardpressed to find a judge who would engage in the same shifty dealings. However, I don't think you'll have to go back to Savannah to file."

The confused glare I sent him was enough to spurn him to keep speaking.

"How long have you lived in Boston?"

"About a year and a half. I can prove I've been separated from him, at least physically, through the university."

"That's very good. In Massachusetts, you need to be a resident for one year in order to file for divorce if you were married in another state. You don't need to go back down to Savannah, Jules. You can file right here in Boston."

"I...I can file here?"

"Of course. I'd be happy to draw up the paperwork for you when I go back to my office."

My head was light with the effervescence of happiness; I was finally going to be free of Will. Unless...unless he refused to sign the papers, as he promised on so many occasions to do.

"Davin, that's...that's so kind of you, but Will promised he would never agree to a divorce. He promised to contest it and to draw out the proceedings as long as possible. I can't ask you to take that on."

My little victory in being able to file in Massachusetts was quickly overshadowed by the notion that paying for that legal battle was going to be nearly impossible.

"Jules, I own my own law firm. I've been in this business for a long, long time. At this point, it's much less about the money and more about helping people find their happiness. If being completely separated from your ex-husband is what is going to make you happy, I would love to help you with that. Besides, given what you've told me about him and your family, I think the thought of those recordings coming out in court might just be enough to get him to sign without a legal battle. Okay?"

I'll never know what I did in my life or some previous life I'd lived to have been so lucky to meet Theo and his family.

"This, this is unbelievable, Davin, and there isn't any way on earth I could ever sufficiently thank you for helping me with this...there is, there is one other thing though."

He raised his eyebrows at me.

"I had a savings account back in Georgia. My parents never let me take their names off it, and when I left Savannah, they froze the account. If we can't get it back, that's okay. But, I figured I'd ask."

"We can certainly get that back. Is there anything else you need written into the paperwork?"

Apparently it was as simple as that.

"No. There isn't a single other thing I want or need from them."

"Spousal support?"

I shook my head. "I don't want his money, just my own."

"Then this will be even easier than I anticipated. We'll speak more on this in the new year when I'm back in my office. I think I'm going to make myself another cup of tea. Would you care for one?"

"That would be lovely."

When Theo's dad stood, I hugged him, hugged him as if he were my own father, and he hugged right back.

"Thank you for being such a perfect fit for our son. You could never imagine how much that means to us." He patted me on the back, and once I was out of his embrace, I followed him into the kitchen, where Theo was waiting for us. When he saw the smile on my face, his reacted in the same way.

I was finally going to be free of Will and my parents and Savannah for good. I'm not sure there was a better feeling in the world than the relief I felt that evening.

***

The night before we were set to leave for Vermont, I asked Theo to borrow his car to run back to my apartment under the cover that I'd forgotten something when we stopped over the day before for me to pack a bag. It was a little white lie, but it had to happen to make sure everything was perfect for our trip.

Instead of heading to Parnassus, I drove to the closest grocery store and ran through it like a mad woman gathering all of the things we could need, well...want. Among various other items in my cart were cinnamon buns and bacon and a bag of these chocolate covered cherries that Theo loves more than anything.

On the way to the checkout line I was sure to grab a few bottles of wine and a small bottle of his favorite bourbon; we'd surely need a little something to keep us warm on the slopes.

I stored everything in Theo's trunk, not wanting to ruin the surprise at least until the morning when we loaded up the rest of the car.

When I returned to Theo's house, he was lounging on his sofa catching the end of a basketball game, but when he started asking questions, he nearly caught me.

"Where're your gloves?"

"Huh?"

"Your gloves...the ones you just went back to campus for?"

Right. "Oh, sorry. I left them in your car. My bag's too full as it is."

"Come 'ere." He opened his arms, and I unzipped my coat, hung it over the back of a chair, and made my way to him.

Inside Theo's arms was a home I never knew I needed.

He placed his lips upon the top of my head when I nestled into him and then brought them down to my ear.

"Not going to chicken out tomorrow, right?"

"Absolutely not."

"You're sure?"

"Definitely. I wouldn't have suggested Vermont if I didn't want to do it. We, we will start on one of the easy slopes though, right?"

"Course. Then, by the end of the weekend, you'll be gliding down double black diamonds like they're nothing."

"Double—what?"

His chest rumbled with laughter. "This trip is going to be interesting, Calhoun."

I felt a smile pull across my lips. "Sure is, T."

***

The next morning, Theo repaid my Christmas morning wakeup by thrusting a mug of coffee in my face.

"Up and at 'em, Calhoun. Time to hit the slopes. Time to feel the icy wind in your face. Time to—"

"Drive for three hours."

"That's my girl, always bringing the practical side around." He bent down and kissed my forehead as I took my coffee from him.

"How many minutes till we leave?"

"Thirty. Didn't know if you wanted to shower or not."

"Will I get sweaty from skiing?"

"Absolutely."

"Even though it's going to be, like, freezing?"

He laughed. "Yes, Jules."

"Then no, I don't want to shower."

"You gonna go back to sleep?"

I shook my head at him. "I'll help you load the car. You're sure the skis are going to fit?"

"We'll strap them on up top. Haven't used mine in years, but the boots felt okay. You're sure Mary's fit you alright? We could always stop on the way and rent a pair. The boots were tight?"

"They were fine, T. I promise I'm not going to break anything and make you work on your vacation."

"You say that but—"

"No buts. Come on, let's go fill the car."

I popped out of bed with my then empty coffee mug, but Theo was too quick. He caught me around the waist and lifted me up into him. His fingertips went into my sides, and squeals of laughter broke from my chest.

"Hey! Quiet down in there! TWO OTHER PEOPLE LIVE HERE!"

Theo set me down, calming his laughter before yelling back to his brother. "Sorry, Aiden. No worries. We'll be gone for a few days and out of your hair."

A muffled grunt came from the direction of Aiden's room, but Theo just shrugged his shoulders at me.

"We need to find him a girlfriend."

"We'll mark it down as one of our goals for the new year."

I followed Theo down the stairs and grabbed my ski boots, poles, and suitcase as he grabbed his. As he fumbled with his keys, he started talking about what we'd need to do when we arrived at our rented lodgings.

"There's a grocery store a few miles from where we're staying. Once we get all of the gear in—" but as he popped the trunk, his eyes fell on the bags of groceries I'd picked up the night before. "When did you get these?"

"When I forgot my gloves last night. I didn't want you to have to worry about running to the store. Besides, this is my gift to you, so it was only fitting that I got the food."

"You're pretty special, Jules." He leaned down and pecked me on the lips. "Thank you for doing all of this."

"No need to thank me. Let's get all this stuff in and be on our way. We've got an exciting trip ahead of us."

He bent down to kiss me one more time, and I was more than okay to stall our drive a few seconds longer.

***

The three hour drive to Vermont was over in a snap; Theo had me laughing the entire car ride, and if we weren't laughing we were belting out whatever song was pumping through the radio. He was right about his singing though; it was far from good, but that made it even more special that he was willing to sing in front of me.

When we arrived at our little rented cabin, it was all sorts of adorable. The outside looked as if it had been plucked from a fairytale, and the interior was warm and cozy and just perfect. Sure our accommodations were wonderful, but the location was even better. We were just off the property of a major ski resort, which meant all it took was a ten minute walk to the lodge for us to have access to some of the best slopes Vermont had to offer.

I had the feeling my trip with Theo was going to be the best vacation of my life. But even though I knew we were going to make memories in Vermont that we would never forget, I still had one Christmas surprise left for Theo that I knew he'd remember for far longer than any skiing we did that weekend. 

A/N: Hi!

Welcome to December! We have just three chapters left 😭 (I think; sometimes I realize I want to add more or change something lol). If I stick to that schedule, we'll land ourselves at the end of this right before Christmas, and then we can see Elle & Jude in 2018 😉

Thank you for your immediate support of a third Elle and Jude book (which will be titled No One Else)! The reception to the Welcome Letter I posted has made my heart so happy.

I love you all. Please vote and comment and chat with me :) any ideas what else Jules has planned for Theo?

Have a lovely week,
L