Chapter 2: Ghosts in the Apartment

Rachel left in a hurry. She didn’t say when she’d come to move her things. I took an Uber home. The car went to Rachel, the house to me. My friends all said I’d gotten the better deal in the split. I disagreed. When we talked about divorce, I told her she could make any requests—if it was reasonable, we could discuss it. But Rachel just glanced at the agreement, signed, and even went with me that very day to file the paperwork. I’d secretly booked the appointment, never expecting it to go so smoothly.

The Uber driver talked about March Madness as we crawled through traffic, but I barely heard a word. The world outside looked faded, like the end of a movie. Pulling up to the duplex, I realized I had no one to text—not even Rachel. My finger hovered over her name, just out of habit, then I put the phone away, feeling stupid.

I pushed open the door at home. Cold air rushed over me, making me shiver. The window was open; the potted ferns were frozen, drooping, wilted, and withered. I looked around—everything seemed in place, yet something was missing. I checked the safe in the study. My few collectibles were still there, as were the gold necklaces I’d bought Rachel after we married. Only the law books seemed to have gaps on the shelves.

The air smelled faintly of lemon cleaner—Rachel’s favorite. I ran my hand across the bookshelf, feeling the dustless spaces where her books used to sit. Down the hall, her mug was still by the Keurig, the lipstick mark faded from too many washings.

I found a box and gathered up all the books Rachel liked. In the bedroom, a few pieces of her clothing were missing, so I packed the rest. After packing, I called Rachel. As usual, the automated voice reminded me she was temporarily unavailable. So I called FedEx and sent the box to Rachel’s office at the courthouse.

Standing amid piles of empty hangers and the hush of a house with only one toothbrush, I hesitated before sealing the box. Maybe I should have included a note. But I just taped it shut, scrawled her name on top, and let it go.