Free
Well, at 11:30 this morning, my lawyer and I presented in the judge's chambers, and by 11:40 this morning, my marriage was declared "a vinculo matrimonii" which is fancy lawyerspeak for "irretrievably broken."
I guess it's par for the course. I mean, I generally operate in the medical realm, which definitely has its own language, but this was more stiffly formal than I guess I thought.
Long story, it's over.
It's over.
It's over.
I went straight to the SS office, then the DMV (who knew you needed a passport to get a new driver's license??), then the bank, then the grocery store for a feast. And made a bunch of calls to change my name in as many places as I could. When I got home, I discovered that my best friend had sent me flowers and frozen croissants (who knew?? And pain au chocolate! Apparently I just thaw, rise and bake. I was so shocked!) (Note that I've never gotten frozen pastries before, what a novelty!)
I opened a bottle of wine "we'd" been saving. We got it on our first anniversary, before he'd really declared his illness. We were saving it - first for my finishing school, then my residency, and then it became painfully obvious that he'd never be able to partake.
I decided some time ago that I'd need to enjoy it sometime, and rather than it turn to vinegar waiting for a "good time," I had it tonight. Well, half of it. Ok, 2 glasses. Plenty for me. Darn good red, I might add. Maybe a little bittersweet, but I'm just glad it's over.
And I've had several friends call or leave messages of well-wishes for the future. I'm just so blessed. And wanted to share that joy with you all, who kicked me in the rear to get it done with.
I'm mostly thrilled to have my name back. I hypenated when we married, but never used his name professionally. It became more and more of an annoyance over the years, as systems just aren't in place to deal with a hyphenated name. And I'm free of it now!
And I need to get to bed, as work comes early tomorrow.
Thanks everyone, and Hugs.
D