Victoria said Emily initially wanted to try counseling.
But Marcus kept insisting the relationship was over while continuing to contact Andrea.
Eventually Emily consulted a divorce attorney.
Victoria helped her view apartments and organize copies of financial documents.
“She wasn’t trying to take his children away,” Victoria said. “She wanted them to have both parents without staying married to him.”
“Why didn’t she tell me?”
“She was going to. She was embarrassed, Helen. She thought you’d side with Marcus.”
That hurt more than I expected.
“She had every reason to trust me.”
Victoria looked at me sadly. “She wanted to believe that.”
Victoria opened the folder.
Inside were photocopies of Emily’s notes, apartment listings, an attorney’s appointment confirmation, and several handwritten letters.
Nothing suggested Emily had stopped loving her children or intended to keep Marcus from them.
One letter was addressed to Lily.
It described how brave she had been on her first day of school.
