"I don't know, maybe I should talk to her now, or I should let it rest till some other time," Michael whispered to himself.
Sarah's expression has been tense lately, "Sarah," Michael called. "We need to talk about the rent. I might not be able to raise the whole money and..."
"Please, spare me from this; I have already talked," she cut him off; her voice was sharp and cold.
Michael frowned. "What do you mean, Sarah? I still don't understand you?"
She brought out a printed piece of paper from her bag and placed it on the table in front of him. "Read it," she said, stepping back.
Michael got confused; it was the rent he was talking about; where was the letter coming from? "Has the lawyer given us quick notice?" He asked in confusion.
"Don't ask me questions; just take the paper and read through it," Sarah responds sharply.
Michael's hand trembled as he reached out to the paper. As he unfolded it the bold title hit him like a punch.
"What is this, Petition for divorce?". His voice cracked; looking at Sarah, his eyes had turned red because of pain. "You can't be serious?"
"I am," she replied without any tone of compassion. "I have thought about this for months. I can't continue to shoulder the responsibilities of the house anymore. I am tired"
"Tired of what?" he asked, his voice rising with a mix of anger and desperation. "Tired of us? Tired of this family?"
"Tired of struggling!", she quickly caught him off. Her eyes become wild with frustration. "Ever since you lost your job, I have been taking care of you and the children. The little you are bringing to the table is never enough. You are the reason this family is going down".
"Divorce is not the best, Sarah. I am trying, and I kept applying every day for jobs." Tears rolled down his eyes as he tried to let Sarah understand.
"Do you think I want to be the only one holding this family together while you sit here sulking and giving excuses?"
Michael stood, his mind is confused. "Sulking and excuses is that what you think I am doing?. You know by yourself how many applications I have written. I have been applying for jobs nonstop, Sarah!".
"If you have been applying as you claimed, you should have gotten an appointment by now, I am tired!" Sarah raised her voice.
"Sarah! Do you know how many rejections I've gotten this week alone?" Michael's voice cracked with emotions.
"I don't care about your rejections, Michael!" she shot back. "The reality is, we're sinking, and I refuse to drown with you."
There was a silence in the room, except for the faint sound of Clara and Clement playing upstairs.
Michael rubs his hands on his head as he breaks the silence. "So, that's it?" he asked quietly. "You're just going to walk away? From me? From the kids?"
"I am not walking away from my kids; I can come and check them anytime," she said defensively. "They'll be better off with you. You are always at home."
Michael's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're leaving them with me? How do you think they will feel when they find out their mother abandoned them just because I lost my job?"
"Don't twist this around, Michael!" Sarah's voice cracked, betraying her actions and words. "I am doing this for them; I can't be a good mother sitting here with you."
Michael shook his head, he was very angry within him, "You're not doing this for you. You're doing this because it's easier to run away than to stay and fight for our family."
"Fight?" She asked sarcastically. "I have been fighting for six months. What is the result? Do you think it's an easy thing for me to come home every day knowing that there is no light at the end of the tunnel or any solution coming from you? I can't live like this anymore."
"What about Clara and Clement?" he demanded. "What do I tell them when they ask where their mother is?"
"Tell them the truth," she said bitterly. "That I'm finally putting myself first for once, to make life better for them in the future."
"You're unbelievable," he got back to his seat and exhaled deeply."I never my own Sarah would wake up one day and give up on her own family."
"Maybe you have assumed too much about me," she said quietly, grabbing her bag and heading towards the door.
"Sarah," Michael called after her, his voice breaking. "Please. Don't do this."
She hesitated, her hand on the doorknob. For a brief moment, Michael thought she might turn around and have a rethink, but she spoke without looking back.
"I've made up my mind, Michael. Goodbye."
The sound of the door echoed through the house. Michael sat frozen in confusion, staring at the letter on the table.
"Daddy?" a small voice came from the upstairs. It was Clara and behind her was Clement looking in confusion.
"Where's Mommy going?" Clara asked, her voice trembling.
Michael swallowed up his pain and put up a smile to ease the tension on the faces of the kids. "She… she had to go away for a little while, sweetheart. But don't worry, Daddy's here."
Clara frowned. "Is she coming back?"
"Clara, I don't know," he said, his voice low, barely above a whisper. Tears had gathered up in his eyes, but he was able to hold them. "But I promise, I'll always be here for you and Clement."
Clement ran down the stairs and hugged Michael's leg tightly. "Don't let Mommy go!" he cried.
Michael picked him up, tears rolled down his face. "It's going to be fine, son." He said softly, "Everything will be ok."
As he held his children, Michael made a silent vow to himself. No matter the challenges, no matter how things got, he would give the children the better life they need. He would be the pillar of support they could always trust and fall back on anytime and any day.
Even if Sarah had given up, he wouldn't.