A Fairytale of New York: |
***
She manages to arrange to sign the annulment papers in front of a notary on the following Thursday. She isn't returning to work until the Monday, so there's no need to invent an excuse as to why she needed to go downtown at 3:45pm.
She sends the papers back to the law firm in Las Vegas on the Friday. All that's left now is to wait for the papers to be filed, signed and copies returned to her. After that, the whole marriage fiasco is in the past and over.
She spends much of the time thinking about her relationship with Jack. It hit her sometime on Sunday that it was over, about the same time that it hit her that she'd managed to get drunk and married and possibly been on a date with her husband who already had a girlfriend and lived in Seattle. This all lead to her having somewhat of an emotional breakdown when she arrived home and almost encouraged her to start with the drinking again.
She knows that eventually she'll learn how to cope with it all, to no longer feel the absence of having someone in her life, no matter how inconsistently. She didn't love Jack, and she knows he doesn't love her, and it makes it slightly easier when she acknowledges this, but she still feels the pain over the ending of their relationship.
She knows, too, that eventually she'll laugh about the wedding, about the time she connected with someone so intensely and so rapidly that in a drunken moment it felt right to make the ultimate commitment.
She also knows that work on Monday will be one of the most awkward days thus far in her career. She can cope with that; she can dread it, but she'll live through it. Hopefully Jack won't put her in any uncomfortable situations. She also hopes that the consequences of her returning to the office after a forced vacation will be minimal.
It's on Monday evening, after surviving the day and not feeling much the better for it, that she checks her mail.
Predominantly, it consists of bills and junk mails, but one particular envelope causes her to laugh out loud. The address is correctly and neatly written in black ink, but it's the fact that it's addressed to a Mrs. Samantha Fitzgerald that amuses her. She knows immediately who it's from and the prospect of receiving a letter from him lifts her spirits immensely.
Up in her apartment, she opens the letter to find a check for his share of the annulment payment and a short note.
His dry humour amuses her intensely; at least, she is 90% sure that he is being humorous.
Dearest Mrs. Fitzgerald, my favourite wife (so far),
Please find alimony check enclosed within. I only wish that our long-lasting marriage did not have to end like this. Surely the years of commitment mean as much to you as they do to me?
Until our next encounter,
your adoring husband, Martin.
Every time she feels lost that evening, she re-reads the note and is cheered up almost immediately.
The next day at work is slightly less trying and sees the beginning of her recovery over the demise of her relationship with Jack. And as she pours over paperwork she makes a conscious effort to think less of how she should react and her emotions, and instead mentally pens a reply to Martin's letter.
That evening, she writes it, and places in the envelope the ring he had given her on the occasion of their wedding, which she had neglected to return to him previously.
Dear “adoring” husband,
Alimony duly noted. Is this to be a monthly arrangement? Please find wedding ring returned within. I feel our long-lasting marriage may have lasted longer had you not had a mistress and abandoned me when you relocated to Seattle.
(Soon to be ex-) Mrs Fitzgerald.
She posts it, and hopes that he'll understand the humour that she had intended.
Over the next few weeks she begins to feel normal again and while her feelings for Jack are not entirely forgotten, at times they are overruled; both by her eventual acknowledgement that she needs to find a way of being strong and independent, and occasionally by her anxious anticipation of receiving a reply from Martin.
He does not disappoint and three weeks later she finds another letter addressed to Mrs. Fitzgerald in the mail.
Dearest Mrs. Fitzgerald,
I was hurt both by the accusation that there was anyone else in my life other than you, and by the return of the ring. Don't you know that during the years that we were together there was no possibility of anyone else entering my life? Mostly since you were too overbearing and possessive and wouldn't let me out of your sight. But every time I thought back to the night of our wedding, and the love you demonstrated by reciting facts from Ocean's Eleven and updating me on the love and life of Brad Pitt, I couldn't help but forgive you.
Please, come back to me.
Your adoring husband, Martin.
Her improved demeanour is noted at work, leading to questions from Danny about there being someone in her life that she hadn't told them about. Cheerfully, almost uncharacteristically so, she denies this, stating that it is just the love for the job that keeps her going.
Danny can't help but laugh at this.
She takes up the “bitter ex-wife” role again as she replies to the letter.
Dear “adoring” husband,
I was *not* overbearing or possessive. And I didn't not recite facts from Ocean's Eleven on the night of our wedding. I merely commented on its location. Repeatedly. And there was no obsessing about Brad Pitt, as you insinuate. There was nothing but you on my mind that evening, even though you obviously remember it differently. Perhaps next time you should reconsider the wisdom of five tequila shots in a row as it seems to affect your memory.
(Soon to be ex-) Mrs Fitzgerald.
The copies of the annulment papers are returned to her shortly afterwards. Signed, sealed, and delivered.
She is no longer Mrs. Fitzgerald, the wedding didn't happen, and she can't remember the night spent in her hotel room afterwards, so she supposes she can just scrap that one from reality as well.
And what originally felt as though it would be huge relief and a weight lifted from her conscience, suddenly becomes a slightly sad reality.
But, she supposes, there was no way that they could remain married.
His next letter to her isn't full of the marriage jokes of before.
Samantha,
Just to let you know that I received the annulment papers in the mail today. I guess this is it for our short-lived and hastily entered marriage. Anyway, was thinking about you today because of it; you're still my favourite wife, even if we officially were never married.
Hope that you're okay. Write soon,
Martin.
She smiles sadly.
***
Five months later.
It's on a Monday that Jack announces that they are soon to receive a new member of the team. She wonders briefly about the person, and discusses it with Danny the following evening. He hopes that it will be a young, attractive female; she's more inclined to hope that it'll be someone who's good at the job and whom she can easily work with. He teases her for being too practical, and announces that she's secretly hoping that it'll be a Brad Pitt look-alike, with brains and brawn to match. She laughs at him, and informs him that she'd be quite happy if he were all that, but it's probably a bit too much to hope.
When the newbie arrives the following week, Danny sees the person first, and nudges her, and she's not immediately sure it's because he got his wish or he thinks she got hers.
That is, until she looks behind her and sees him. He is both reasonably young and very attractive, but he's also the person she never expected to see again. He catches her eye, and she can see that he has the same reaction: one of shock.
Jack introduces him to the group, “Everyone, this is Martin Fitzgerald. He's going to work on our team and I'm sure you'll make him feel welcome.” He briefly introduces Martin to each member of the group before he starts the morning meeting.
Afterwards, Martin makes a point of speaking to each member of the team, and she's not sure what her reaction should be, or even what his will be. She doesn't want everyone to question how they know each other and so is quite happy when he initially pretends that he doesn't know her.
“Samantha, right?” he asks. She nods and forcefully smiles. He holds her hand out and she shakes it. “It's nice to meet you,” he says.
***
Back to Fic Index