My mother-in-law attended one mediation session uninvited and had to be asked to leave by the mediator.
My husband retained an attorney who was decent but not exceptional.
We had no children.
The house was in both our names.
I bought out his half, and he moved into an apartment downtown, closer to the office, closer, I assumed, to his colleague.
Patricia was excellent.
There was one moment about 4 months in when my husband called me directly, not through our attorneys, which he was not supposed to do, and said that he wished things had been different, that he’d handled things differently, that he knew he’d let it go on too long.
I believed him in the limited way I’ve learned to believe people when they say things they mean, but not enough to have acted on sooner.
I said, “I believe you.”
He said, “I’m sorry.”
I said, “I know.”
There was a long silence.
Then I said, “I hope she’s worth it.”
Not meanly.
