Elliot – I'll be there in two weeks, I'll see you then.

That was the text I woke up to, which was good news. Maybe not for him, but it was for me. I could get the documents drafted with the lawyer, have a process server standing by to give him the divorce papers, and have his stuff packed well before his first visit. The guest room he normally stayed in didn't have much of his stuff in it, so it would be easy enough to pack up into boxes, and then I could redecorate it to get the last vestiges of him out of my home and life.

I gently moved the sleeping Swiftie and Karma off me, as they decided they needed to be on my side as I slept last night and then padded over to my closet. I threw on a pair of shorts and tank top, then walked down to the basement where the little gym was located. Most homes in Florida don't have basements, but one of the things that drew me to this house was that it was situated on a little ridge overlooking the pond behind the pool, and we got a basement dug into the ridge that opened up onto the pool deck. The main living space, one guest room for Elizabeth, and the master bedroom were on the first floor, and the other bedrooms were up on the top floor.

The whole downstairs basement was finished, though not completely useful. There was one large, empty room in the corner that I'd envisioned as an in-law suite for Elizabeth before she mentioned not liking to go up and down stairs, a large common area with a bar and pool table that would be perfect for parties, a lot of storage, and the gym. The suite in the corner would make a great bedroom, and several times I'd considered decorating it and moving in there myself, but the main floor master bedroom was too convenient. The bar didn't have a lot of alcohol in it, but a bunch of soft drinks for the girls when they had friends over to play pool and then go swimming since the basement opened right to the pool deck.

I liked the setup of the gym. The back wall was almost all glass that overlooked the pool and the pond beyond. It was a gorgeous view, and it made me feel good when I was churning my legs on the elliptical or the rowing machine. There was a TV mounted high on the center wall between the windows that I could put on if I needed, or speakers to hook into music if I preferred. There was a home gym machine that was configurable for weights in a variety of ways depending on the workout you wanted too. Hollie had been the one that used that the most though, to get more muscle for softball. I stuck with the elliptical for now, just trying to maybe get a little slimmer so I could look good when I started going out.

I had spent maybe ten minutes on the machine when I had to stop short. Yep, my little furry friends had evidently followed me down to the gym, and I was terrified that their paws or tails or worse would get caught in the working parts because they were sniffing around it. I couldn't exactly close the door to keep them out, they'd be meowing and scratching too much, but I could order them a little play area for down there that was cordoned off from the rest of the room. I was just glad I saw them before there was an accident!

That was the quickest workout ever, but considering how my heart had been racing when I was worried the cats might get caught in the mechanism of the machine, I counted it as cardio. Letting out a sigh, I scooped up the little ones and carried them back upstairs, depositing them near their food bowls before I went and grabbed a shower, since I needed to make the gym safer before I did any more.

After I was clean, I moved quietly upstairs, checking on Gracie and Jashanna. Like me, they slept with the door cracked open so the kitties could have the run of the house while we slept, and I peeked inside to see them snuggled up, with Jashanna using Gracie's chest as a pillow. I smiled, happy to see young love blossoming. I was doing my best not to embarrass them, but I was wondering if they'd said the big L word yet. They certainly acted like they were in love but there was no rush at their age.

I went back downstairs, then left a note for them on the kitchen counter before I took a quick drive out to buy some cardboard boxes. If I wasn't going to work out, I could at least be productive and start packing up Elliot's room so he could move on out. Actually, I'd save him the trouble. I decided that once I was done packing him up, I'd just move everything of his over to Elizabeth' place for him. Much better. In theory, he'd never have to set foot in my place at all.

Thirty minutes later I was back home with a dozen packing boxes to assemble, and I realized I'd wasted my time making a note for the girls since they were still asleep. Since it was just after 11am, I figured I'd just make them a nice brunch, because they couldn't turn down food.

I got a pound of bacon out and started cooking that up and filled the electric kettle with water to boil since we all preferred tea. Hollie was the coffee girl in the house. Both girls loved bacon, so I hoped that the smell of it would summon them from their slumber. Sure enough, I was halfway through cooking it when the pair stumbled down the stairs like a pair of zombies wearing their sleeping clothes.

"Good morning!" I said cheerfully. "Can I interest you in some food?"

"Mmmfffggg," replied Gracie, her head dropping onto her arms on the kitchen counter as she settled onto one of the bar stools.

"Grgssss," agreed Jashanna.

I got a pair of mugs out, dropped a black tea bag into each one, and then added the boiling water. "Okay, tea is steeping. Go jump in the pool, wake up, come back, and eat. I'll get pancakes going as soon as the bacon is done." There was no answer, but they did head outside and down the stairs to the pool deck. I heard a pair of splashes, and just shook my head at their antics. It was going to be rough the next morning, since we would have to be out the door by 6:30 to pick up Jashanna on the way to school. I always drove them, because Florida never had enough bus drivers, and had been too many times over the years where no bus ever arrived at their assigned stop. So, I became their bus.

I was almost done with the pancakes when the girls reappeared, wrapped in pool towels from the downstairs bathroom, and ran upstairs giggling to change into something dry. They were back down in sweatpants and tee shirts in just a few minutes, their hair still damp, but their eyes were happy and the smiles on their faces meant everything to me. I started cleaning things up while they ate but just because I hated my kitchen getting messy.

I'd just finished while the girls were polishing off their food when my phone buzzed with a call from Hollie. "Hey there, sweetie!" I answered. "How was your first week?"

"It was great!" she gushed. "The classes aren't too bad, and my roomies are cool. I think I'll have a good year here." Much like Gracie and Jashanna, her happiness warmed my heart and made me glad I'd raised such good kids.

"Is the food edible?" I had to ask, because she ate a lot as she was very active working out for softball, and we'd been a little worried about the university meal plan.

"Yep. Not everything is amazing, but I've found decent things every time I've gone down to eat."

"Well don't be afraid to ask for stuff. I'll send anything you need in a care package if that's what it takes, okay? I just want you happy."

She laughed lightly at that. "Yeah, I will. I could use dried fruit maybe. And nuts. Those are easy to snack on in class, but I have a hard time getting them."

I nodded to myself because that made sense. If she was getting hangry in class, those would help her get through to a meal. "I'll make it happen. I have your address, so I'll get a package this week, okay?"

"Thanks mom! How is everything there?"

I breathed deep, knowing this would be the best time to tell her about the impending divorce. "Well, the girls are ready for school tomorrow, and this week I'm talking to a divorce lawyer. Knowing I'll be alone with you and Gracie both gone soon made me realize I need to have a chance to find someone to spend my time with. I miss that." Yep, still not mentioning Zee's influence on my decision to Hollie, she didn't need to know, at least over the phone.

"Oh shit, yes! I'm so happy for you mom! I bet Gracie is thrilled too." It was nice to hear both girls wanting my happiness. Hopefully I could find someone that they all approved of. "Speaking of the little squirt, can I talk to her and Jashanna? I want to make sure they're good to go for school tomorrow."

"Yeah, let me get them." I walked back to the kitchen, handing the phone to Gracie. "Hollie wants to talk to you both. Bring the phone to your father's room when you're done, okay?"

They both nodded as Gracie flipped the phone to the speaker. "Hey Hollie!" I walked upstairs with a good feeling. They didn't always get along perfectly, but right now the girls were in a good place. I was probably going to have to have a talk to Hollie about sexuality too, it was long overdue with her as well. I was doing a pretty good job with them, but as a single mom that worked a lot, sometimes things just slipped through the cracks. But that was a big one that I obviously needed to address. I never wanted any of my kids to feel like I wouldn't support them.

With a sigh, I walked into Elliot's room, and assembled half of the boxes. There was no reason I couldn't start packing up his crap now, and then drop them off at Elizabeth's place a little at a time. If he wasn't going to be down here for two weeks, then I had all the time I'd need to move him out. I was nice, folding the clothes in his closet and packing them neatly. I had overestimated how many boxes I needed and ended up with only four of them used. It made sense, he was never here for more than a weekend at a time, so why would he need much?

With everything put away, I stripped the sheets and blankets off the bed, leaving one empty box in the room for them when they were done in the laundry, and then got them into the washing machine. The rest of the boxes went down to the garage, where I could easily take a couple each day to drop them off. As I carried the boxes down, the sound of Gracie and Jashanna talking could be heard from the living room. It took a few trips to get the boxes down, and then I joined them in the living room where they were giggling and whispering to each other. Evidently the call with Hollie was done, and they were just talking about whatever they had discussed.

"Are you girls done with my phone?" I asked. Gracie tossed it over to me with a smirk, and to my credit I didn't drop it. I used two hands though because I wasn't nearly as athletic as Hollie and her softball skills.

"I'm glad you got to talk to your sister. Did she give you any advice for junior year?"

"Yeah! She gave us the lowdown on some of the teachers we have on our schedule. You know, the kind of things they like on papers and tests, things like that," Gracie explained. I'd taken both girls to the high school orientation the previous week, so we had their schedules, and they knew where all their classes were already.

"And she is going to bring her roommates here for Halloween," Jashanna added. "They sound pretty cool. That's alright, isn't it?"

I nodded happily. "Of course. If they're Hollie's friends, then they should come. If you two wind up in Tallahassee with her, they would be good for you two to know too,"

The two shared a look, with Gracie smiling, and Jashanna smiling back, though I thought it looked as though it never reached her eyes. That was going to be another discussion I had, or maybe it would be with Jashanna's mom. Was there something wrong with her college choices? Could her mom not afford it? She was very smart, always at the top of the honor roll with Gracie, but I had no idea if she could get scholarships, or had a college fund, or anything else.

But I'd make sure that she went, that I knew.