"I'm sorry for rushing over here Chloe, but I just needed someone to talk to." said Natasha as she sighed.
"It's fine Natasha, I don't mind at all, what's bothering you? You seem a bit stressed." said Chloe as she smiled.
"Is it that obvious?" Natasha chuckled.
"I wouldn't say it is, you just look rather bothered, and that's not a look you usually have on your face." Chloe replied.
"What's wrong? You know that you can tell me anything, you can trust me." said Chloe as she smiled.
"Thanks Chloe, I know that I can." Natasha said as she smiled and took a deep breath.
"Dom handed me divorce papers this morning." Natasha said as Chloe could not help but gasp.
"He did?" asked Chloe in shock as Natasha nodded.
"That's...that's very surprising... did you ask him for them?" she asked as Natasha shook her head.
"No, not at all, it came as a total shock to me when he handed me the envelope and I saw the papers, it didn't feel real at all Chloe, it felt so unreal." said Natasha as she shook her head, it still honestly baffled her.
"He already went over all the terms with the family lawyer, can you imagine that he even proposed that he move out of the house?" asked Natasha as Chloe shook her head in disbelief.
"Did he say why he suddenly prepared all that?" asked Chloe.
"He said that he's been thinking for a long time of how he could regain my forgiveness and show me that he is truly very sorry for everything that happened between us." said Natasha.
"Wow..." said Chloe in disbelief.
"And did it work?" asked Chloe.
"It certainly did... I feel like I can see the nice, sweet, kind considerate Dom that I helplessly fell in love with before." she said as she sighed.
"I can see that he's remorseful, and I feel that, he doesn't want to do anything to hurt me again, and I see that he is set on doing the right thing, he didn't even consider how the family will take it, he just did it, because he knew that it would make me happy." she said.
"I honestly respect him more, that's all I can say, and I do feel like everything has become water under the bridge." said Natasha.
"I'm happy that you feel that way, I was honestly worried because no matter how strong you think you are, bad memories are enough to make you feel so... helpless." said Chloe as she sighed and Natasha nodded.
"So, did you agree to the divorce?" Chloe asked.
"Well yes and no." said Natasha as Chloe frowned in confusion.
"I mean... I do agree that we will get divorced, but not just now. I want us to wait till Joy is a little bit older, and that's what I told him." said Natasha.
"That sounds very reasonable." said Chloe as she nodded.
"I know it does... but that's why I came over here Chloe... I need some advice..." Natasha said.
"I felt as if I made a mistake telling him that...I want to jump at my chance to finally cut off all ties, but at the same time... I don't think that now is the best time for that decision, tell me what you think and please be honest with me." said Natasha as Chloe frowned in thought.
"Let say that I don't want to sound insensitive." said Chloe warily.
"I won't take it that way, I promise you." said Natasha.
"Alright, well if you ask me, I think that you made the right decision." said Chloe.
"Let me explain, you see, you put your child first and that's the most important thing that every parent needs to do." said Chloe.
"I can relate because it does not matter what Neil does to me, I would never leave him, so as long as Ethan keeps me and him bonded together, and I believe that the same applies here." said Chloe as Natasha nodded.
"Nothing should ever separate a mother from their child, even though you don't love Dom and you've been through a lot of unimaginable harsh things together, you still share one common bond, and that's Joy." said Chloe.
"I don't understand why you are worrying, you did make the right decision." said Chloe.
"I know Chloe, I know, it's just that I can't help but fear that he'll change his mind and things will become worse instead of better and we'll end up worse enemies." she said as she sighed.
"Well do you really think that Dom would ever do that?" asked Chloe.
"No." replied Natasha.
"Then don't worry, I know it's hard, but you said that you trust him better now, and I don't know him that well, but he certainly seems like a man who does not go back on his word." said Chloe as Natasha sighed.
"You're right Chloe, I'm sorry for troubling you with my issues." said Natasha.
"You're not troubling me at all Natasha, what are friends for?" asked Chloe as she smiled.
"Thank you Chloe." said Natasha as she smiled.
"So enough about me, how are you doing?" asked Natasha as Chloe laughed and she smiled.
...
"Well you're not the one that has to talk sense into me, I am perfectly in my right senses!" Dom responded angrily at his sister.
"Why would you offer Natasha a divorce? Do you want her to leave us?" asked Lulu.
"Lulu, I've caused her so much pain and hurt, we should have never gotten married in the first place, the least I can do is grant her the freedom that she should never have lost." said Dom.
"What about Grandfather? He won't be happy with this at all." said Lulu as she frowned, the tone of her voice had softened, she did not mean to shout at her older brother, but she just did.
"Grandfather has no say in this. He's seen firsthand how forcing people to do things his way ends in nothing but pain and suffering. I'm tired of feeling like the worst man in existence, I'm tired of feeling like a terrible friend and failed husband, I should have known better and believed Natasha but I didn't, this is what I have to deal with because of my immaturity." said Dom with a sigh.
"You're not a terrible friend Dom, neither are you a failed husband, yes, you should have believed her, but Lia made everything point to Natasha as the culprit. Forgive yourself, I'm sure that Natasha has forgiven you." she said.
"She might have, but that's not enough... I know she feels trapped staying married to me, and I want her to have nothing but happiness." said Dom.
"But I don't want her to leave us all because of you. She's part of the family, her place is with us." said Lulu.
"You're speaking out of selfishness Lulu, don't you want Natasha to be happy?" asked Dom.
"I do, and she's perfectly happy with us." said Lulu.
"Oh really? Perfectly happy with being married to someone who doesn't deserve her?" asked Dom as Lulu sighed.
"Whether you were a jerk or not, you changed Dom, you have changed, you've become better and I can promise you that's one of the reasons that she didn't agree to the divorce immediately." said Lulu.
"You are not a bad man Dom, you do have your moments of idiocy, but you are not terrible to live with. You've managed to mend a broken bridge. Natasha doesn't hate you like before, I can clearly see it when she looks at you, she admires that you're a wonderful father." said Lulu.
"You share a child together like it or not and I don't want you guys to get a divorce, so why don't you try to fix things even more?" Lulu asked as Dom chuckled.
"It's not that easy Lulu, you can't force things like that, fixing things has to be done from the heart with clear intentions." said Dom.
"You can't lie to me that you didn't love her once Dom." said Lulu as Dom sighed.
"Don't go there Lulu, honestly, don't, look you already know about the divorce so pleas keep it to yourself, not a word of this must be told to anyone, especially not Joy." Dom warned.
"Don't you trust me? I'm not Charlie, of course no one will know, especially Joy, I am sure that you guys won't need the divorce, all you need is more time to patch things up." said Lulu as Dom shook his head, could he be angry at her wishful thinking? She did not even know how complicated relationships could be.
"Whatever Lulu, whatever, the budget for the event has been approved, it's in two weeks, so work your magic." Dom said very cautiously.
"Heheh, of course I will dear brother of mine, you know that I am very, very magical." replied Lulu as she laughed and Dom could not help but smile.