Brides and Brothers by Anneka R. Walker
Chapter 45
Aiden
Aiden sat propped up by pillows in his hotel bed well past a decent time to fall asleep. His scriptures sat closed on his lap; he had no desire to read. His thoughts tortured him and prevented sleep. He shut his eyes and let himself succumb to the pain he’d been fighting for three miserable weeks. He dropped his head into his hands and prayed again. He’d whispered a thousand prayers since leaving the cabin, but still he lacked the direction and comfort he needed. Determined not to give up, he clasped his hands together tighter and pleaded for help.
“Father in Heaven,” he said out loud, “I’ve got to be the worst husband. I thought marriage would be easy after everything that’s been thrown at me. I messed up, and I don’t know how to fix it. Camille deserves better. My brothers deserve better.”
Tears burned his eyes, and his throat tightened. He couldn’t utter another word. He leaned back against the pillows and stared at the ceiling, waiting for an answer. When none came, he flipped open his scriptures.
A highlighted verse in Genesis 2 stood out to him. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
Was it that simple?
He had been overfocused on his brothers, but his relationship with his wife was his primary responsibility. A quiet feeling assured him that God would see to his brothers’ well-being, and Aiden should see to Camille’s.
As soon as his answer came, fatigue settled over him, and he finally fell asleep. The next morning as he arrived at work, his previous anxiety returned. He had his answer but struggled to know how to carry it out.
When his phone buzzed, despite the policy at work against taking private calls during business hours, Aiden yanked his phone out of his pocket with enough force to rip his slacks. Benson’s name flashed across his screen, and Aiden’s disappointment twisted in his gut.
He glanced up to see that while the door was open, he was alone in the small conference room. He hit the accept button and said hello.
“It’s time to come home,” Benson said with no preamble.
Aiden worked around the emotion Benson’s statement caused. It was well past time. He should never have come back to California in the first place. He had run away like a child. His vulnerability had terrified him, and fleeing had seemed like the only choice.
“You’re right,” he said. “But I don’t think I know how to do it.”
Benson’s voice was calm and firm. “Start by getting on a plane. Text me when you need me to pick you up from the airport.”
“Then what?”
“Once you’re here, apologize and make up with Camille.”
“I hate that you know my business.” Aiden flicked a paperclip across the long table.
“Just like I hate that you know mine.”
Aiden sighed and glanced up at the open conference room door. He wanted to ask if Camille still hated him. Instead he asked, “Is she ready for me to come back?”
Benson hesitated. “She was never ready for you to leave. Whatever reason you did or didn’t marry her doesn’t matter anymore. I know you love her, and she’s your wife.”
His words were like a knife to Aiden’s already bleeding heart. Despite what Benson thought, he had married Camille for the right reasons. But then he had abandoned her, so none of that mattered. He’d rushed her into marrying him, and then he had left her. All along he had assured himself that she was in good hands with his family, but apparently Benson knew her better than he did.
Aiden’s jaw clenched, his emotions threatening to tear him apart from the inside. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Pray I’ll have courage and that Camille will forgive me.”
“I’ve been praying day and night,” Benson said back into the phone. “You can fix this. I know you can.”
Spinning around in his chair so he faced the wall, Aiden tried to get a grip on the sadness overpowering him. “I’m coming. I’ll get on the first flight I can tomorrow.”
“Today, Aiden, before you talk yourself out of it. For once, don’t look for the cheapest tickets. Just get on a plane.”
Aiden’s thoughts raced a million different directions. He would have to quit his job and face the repercussions. It would be hard to let down the company, but in the back of his mind, he’d been hoping for a reason to leave. He needed to get his things from the hotel, but that wouldn’t take long.
“Okay. I’ll do it,” he said. “But first, I want you to gather all the brothers together. We need to have a family meeting—without Camille. As soon as I get my itinerary, I’ll text it to you.”
Aiden hung up and ran a hand down his face. Whether he was financially ready or not, it was time for him to tell his brothers to move out. His marriage was more important than anything else.