Capital

The scathing reply was almost spat out in unison, "oh, yeah her actions over the last few years!"

Cassandra my wife as I thought of her, was not, we had never married living instead a de facto relationship. Hell, legally we had all the same rights and obligations as being legally wed so it was going to have to go the distance. Fifty-fifty would be the split, with no dependents all our assets would be equally divided. Our house which she loved and our now paid off rentals would face the same fate.

Selling everything would have had a nice sting to it, however that was up to our daughters should they want to stay in the family home, I'd not force the sale but let Cassandra have it, I'd take one of the rentals.

Our daughters did not want to remain under the same roof as their mother. My, my I was going to have fun with this. Cassandra timed it perfectly arriving just as we had completed our family talk, she dove into dinner with relish. Us four picked at it, this would be our last family meal, I wondered if Cassandra would still love tacos, by the end of it. The girls took their leave and I dropped the bomb on my now ex as I saw her.

Maybe the mince was off, she kind of turned green at the gills as I spoke. Blindsided: I had heard and seen the expression used in league and union, but never witnessed it in a conversation. She had no idea this was coming and had no defence against the sheer towering walls of hurt I dumped on her. I was not proud of doing it this way. Love: her yes, I did still, in love with her yes, I was. Live this lie, no I would not.

No going back, she had, had her chance. If I was to be pedantic about it I'd given her two wake-up calls. She was on her own lets see if her Adam was really better than me as a total package.

Rising from the table I walked out to the kitchen and put the kettle on, made my way to Annabelle's room and asked her to support her mother, she reluctantly did, only I realised, because I'd asked her to. Courtney decided to help as well, that was good.

Making a pot of tea then making up a tray for one took myself and tray onto the veranda. The sun was long beneath the horizon, ten hours to go for the next time I'd see it and I wondered how that day would go, better than today I hoped, a new beginning, a new day, yet it would still be the same.

Cassandra was helped to bed by our daughters. Courtney stayed with her until she had fallen asleep then came into the kitchen to give us an update.

"She's asleep dad, what are you going to do now?"

"I'll sleep in the study on the roll out, tomorrow I'll move out altogether, I have the next few weeks off."

"What then dad?" Rosemary asked.

"I'm going to move into Russell street, just need to wait for the new furniture to be delivered, they said a few days to have it all here," Russell street was one of our investment properties, in actually fact I preferred its location to the family home.

"So you are just going to abandon us here," said Annabelle.

"No, you are all welcome to move with me if you want, I thought you preferred this place, anyway your mother dislikes Russell street ask her where she prefers, I'm happy in either," as I have said that was not true but knew what Cassandra would pick.

"Well I'm moving in with you," said Rosemary, "besides you owe me dinner for a year after tonight's tacos."

"Me as well, I'm not blind or deaf," said Annabelle. Now what did that mean, I'd have to dig into that sometime soon.

I did expect Courtney to be the one most likely to stay, when she said nothing felt that confirmed it. In a way it was good I did not think Cassandra would deal well with us all deserting her.

I slept the sleep of innocents, just maybe the best I'd had in months. That may have been due to the up coming, no work for a while, or simply I'd made a stand.

As usual I was first up started breakfast by putting everything out and then started my new selfish life. I wanted to get fit again, really fit like I was once before dedicating myself to my family. Taking myself for a walk into our nearby nature park, deliberately leaving my phone behind only taking my house key. One of my new goals was to run a half marathon in a year. It also had to be enjoyable so the idea of marathon was discarded early. At best I was five kilograms over weight so had no qualms in doing it by myself.

Courtney was the first person I saw on my re-entering the house, "no uni today if you are wondering dad."

"You want a coffee or tea?" I asked.

"Coffee please."

There was more, I knew my daughters well and could read when something was going to be difficult for them to broach. Only I had a good inkling what this was, so did not help out.

"Um, dad...can I ask you something...um personal?"

"Sure, shoot princess."

"Why are you leaving mom, she is adamant she has never or ever will cheat on you."

"But she has Courtney, not physical yet but mentally she has been for a while now. You have been witness to it for the past two years possible three."

"Geez dad, that is tenuous at best."

I knew what she was saying, you have no proof. My darling daughter had a lot to learn about people it seemed, proof is only required in a court of law for a reason, that reason evolved around the act of breaking the law, and compensation. Relationships were all based upon honour and trust, hell once upon a time a handshake was more binding than a thousand tomes! Not anymore sure but when you tell someone you love that you love them its warts and all, you don't get to change them or only like the bits you want.

I could feel the hot flush of embarrassment on my cheeks as I outlined some of the 'proof' for my middle daughter, ending with, "Courtney honey, I DO not want any of you to not like, indeed love your mother, she adores all of you and I want you to be there for her in this difficult time you get that don't you?"

She was quite, obviously reviewing what I'd said adding her recollections to the mix, the light went on, her frown hurt me, you never like to witness you children in pain, relationship breakdowns were never nice. Everyone lost in every direction, they lost all those intangibles they take for granted.

A year later I finished my half marathon, a surprisingly good time for my age group and placed second. As I did that silly sprint across the line thing, registered Cassandra cheering standing alongside our daughters, I could swear she was more animated than them!

We had become a fragmented family the eldest two would switch between their mother and my houses at random, never more than a week at each. The fact it was within a ten minute walking distance made that a moot point, it was not odd for them to eat with Rosemary and me then sleep at their mother's.

Rosemary was harsh in her dealing with Cassandra, she refused to call her mother, mom or any term of affection. Hard as I tried to get her to see she was harming herself as well as Cassandra she just dug in avoided her mother and grew closer and more dependent on me. It was a good thing though my taking extra care of Rosemary dictated that I could not slip into a depression. You try go without the touch of a loving partner for a year especially when you had the better part of twenty years of every day filled with the touch. Well then sir madam you are a better person than me.

Two years later after all my protestations about one, I stumbled over the line on my first and last marathon, still a good time for an oldie, my fourth place for age not anything to be ashamed of. Cassandra did not cheer like my daughters this time, her hands were covering her mouth the look of anguish plain to see even in my exhausted state, the unseasonably hot weather and a silly me trying to run down three younger men.

I was more angry and upset than exhausted when the presentation ceremony had me called up for second place on the podium. The two in front of me had taken a short cut, the last ten k had me trying to run down two cheats, I had dug too deep and almost did not make it.

Two years of no sex made me a wanker, not that I wanted that title, it was the only relief I got. Oh, I had tried to date, but my bar was set too high and I had given my heart away ages ago. I discovered when younger sex was almost sport, as Cassandra and I evolved and matured sex had become a demonstration of love and deeper meaning. A casual romp in the hay was not for me.

Annabelle finally sat me down and opened up to discuss her sexuality. Darn she cried when I said I knew and was just waiting, she wanted me to meet someone close to her. Just as well I had that wedding money salted away for all three of them.

Rosemary had started to slowly repair her relationship with her mother, that me me happy and started to make some different plans for myself.

Next year, my plan was to be fit enough to ride a few European Grand Fondu's in Italy and France. I was getting the evils from the department head about my long service leave. Well time to cash it all in.

No way did I have to worry about my family and Cassandra standing at the finish line...would I?

Fin.