7 7) 6 months ago…

POV: David

Walking into the house after a long night working 3rd shift, I was ready to just curl into bed with my wife. I was hoping she wasn't in a bad mood, or awake, as I didn't want to talk - just sleep. No one was in the living room and the lights were all off. I sighed in relief thinking I'd get just what I was hoping for - peace and quiet, and a bit of sleep. All of a sudden, bursting out of her room, Elizabeth barrels into me as she headed towards the front door. "Oh dad, glad you are home. I need you to take me to school. I missed my alarm and overslept." Sighing, I opened the door and walked right back out with her to the car. "Did mom forget to wake you up again?" I asked. "No, she isn't here." My daughter responded, hopping in the car. "She isn't here? Where did she go this time?" I asked, to tired to even try to figure out where all she could have vanished to. Gina was always sleeping and doing nothing with her mental issues… unless some stranger needed something, then she was up and gone before sunrise. "I don't know, dad. She just left right after you had last night, and had her suitcases too." Elizabeth responded, looking out the window. Ugh, annoyed at the whole situation, I just decided I'd call her after I dropped Elizabeth off at her high school.

Pulling out of the parking lot after dropping Elizabeth off, I questioned if I cared where Gina had gone. She had become more and more unstable and unreliable as the years had gone. Life now was almost easier when she wasn't around. Knowing I didn't have much of a choice, cause I had to find out where she was and what was going on before I could go to sleep just infuriated me more. I looked at my phone, then tossed it on the passenger seat. I needed to know who would grab Elizabeth this afternoon from her school activities, but it could wait until I got home.

Arriving home, Gina's car was not parked outside the apartment. Grabbing my phone, I called her and waited while the phone rang and rang. When Gina's voicemail message began talking in my ear, I hung up even more annoyed than before. Where could she possibly have gone and why wasn't she answering her phone? I tried calling a couple more times and then gave up. Clearly I was going to have to pick up Elizabeth today so I needed to get as much rest as possible. Heading to bed and stripping down, I enjoyed the fact that I could let the cool, silky sheets surround my bare skin without being bugged by anyone. As I slowly dozed off to sleep, I had one single thought of dread that something just didn't seem right about Gina disappearing right after I left for work… then my eyelids closed and no more thoughts were had.

Startled awake, I heard my phone blaring at me. It wasn't my alarm though - so I tried to just roll over and ignore it, desperately wanting another hour or two of sleep. The phone stopped ringing, and I closed my eyes… then it began ringing again. Looking over at the caller ID, I was startled to realize that it was my bank calling. Grabbing for it - I knocked it off the side table onto the floor. Catching it just before the last ring, I quickly hit the answer button, "Hello?" "Hello, can I please speak to Mrs. Richardson?" the lady on the phone began. "No, she isn't here but I'm Mr. Richardson. Can I help you with something?" I replied and waited for them to explain why they were calling. "Good day, Mr. Richardson. I just wanted to make sure that the last few charges were not fraudulent. They were made with your wife's card but we are unable to reach her with the number we have on file." "Okay?" I waited for them to go on, wondering what crazy thing she had purchased now. "We have a charge for a hotel and restaurant bill, in Florida. Would you like the amounts?" She asked politely. Groaning inwardly, I realized she was on another binging manic spree. "No, please just limit all purchases to $8k for the day though." I responded. Rubbing my forehead, I was about to hang up the phone when I realized the lady was still talking. "I'm sorry. Can you please repeat that?" "Yes, Mr. Richardson, I was just saying that each charge are almost $8 thousand each. So, are you wanting the card blocked or are you wanting it shut off for the day?" Slapping myself in the face slightly, to wake myself up, I ask her to repeat it again, followed by another groan. Gina was going to be the death of me. "No, I'll just call my wife about the charges." I replied and then hung up the phone. Pulling open my bank app, I realized that she had already spend close to half of all our savings in the 24 hours she had been gone. Plane tickets, hotel room with hotel room service, and multiple clothing stores and restaurants were all listed on the statement. I called her again with complete determination that I was going to reach her. This time I wasn't going to stop calling until she answered, cause this was just uncalled for. Staring at the ceiling and groaning with each call that went to voicemail, it was getting excessive and I was about to quit when Gina finally answered. "What do you need, David?" she answered with a huff, "I'm busy." "Gina, you can't just be spending all our money. You can't just go disappearing without telling anyone where you are going either. We have a daughter, remember!" I began ranting, "I mean, why in the world did you go to Florida and leave Elizabeth home alone without any notice or warning?" "Easy, David, I am tired of how you treat me. You treat me with nothing but distain and avoidance. I needed to feel special. So I left and came to find love." Gina replied flippantly. "What does that mean, Gina?" I could feel a rock in my stomach waiting for her to reply. "I'm down here having fun and sleeping with any man who will do me. So, I'm finding love and attention. I'll be home when I'm ready. Good bye, David." With that, Gina hung up the phone on me. I felt like I should be upset - instead I just felt strangely like my marriage had ended and that it was okay. Calling the bank back, I began closing accounts and moving money to new ones so that she didn't spend every dime I had worked for. As I wrapped that process up, I wondered what would happen when she came back from Florida... and when that would be.