Chapter 6
Thursday afternoon arrived with a heavy, overcast sky threatening an autumn downpour. Arthur parked his sedan in the designated school lot ten minutes before the final bell, watching the heavy gray clouds roll in from the west. Exactly at three o'clock, the double doors opened, and Lily emerged among the sea of students. Behind her walked Elena, her dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, wearing a beige trench coat over her clothes. Seeing them together on the sidewalk—his estranged wife and his daughter—sent a sharp, physical pang through Arthur’s chest.
He stepped out of the car and walked over to meet them. Elena stopped a few feet away, her expression guarded and professional, as if they were business associates meeting to finalize a difficult contract.
"Hi, Arthur," Elena said evenly.
"Elena. Thanks for bringing her back," Arthur replied, keeping his voice carefully neutral. He looked down at Lily, who was clutching the straps of her backpack with both hands. "Hey, kiddo. Ready for the weekend?"
Lily looked between her parents, sensing the fragile tension humming in the air like a live wire. "Mom said we are going to get ice cream on the way to Aunt Sarah's."
"That sounds nice," Arthur said, forcing a warm smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He met Elena’s gaze over the top of Lily’s head. "Can we talk for a minute? Privately?"
Elena hesitated, glancing at her wristwatch before nodding. She gently guided Lily toward a nearby bench where a teacher was supervising late pickups. "Wait right here for one second, sweetie. I need to talk to daddy."
Arthur and Elena stepped a few paces away, standing beneath the sprawling branches of a dying oak tree as the first cold drops of rain began to fall.
"I read the paperwork," Arthur said quietly, keeping his eyes on the pavement. "The custody terms... Elena, alternating weeks is too disruptive for her right now. Look at how anxious she’s been all week."
"It’s what Marcus recommended, and it’s fair," Elena said defensively, crossing her arms against the chill. "She needs stability, yes, but she needs both of us, Arthur. You think I want to spend half my week without her? This isn't easy for me either."
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"I know it's not," Arthur said, his voice softening. "Drop the adversarial approach, Elena. Let's go to a family counselor instead of court-appointed mediators. Let’s figure out a transition that doesn't feel like an eviction notice for our daughter."
Elena stared at him for a long moment, the hard exterior cracking slightly as she absorbed the genuine plea in his voice. The rain picked up, pattering against her trench coat. "I'll think about it, Arthur. But don't expect me to change my mind about the separation."
