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In an unexpected chain of events, Theo and Ivy managed to escape the fiery clutches of their dream home.
Standing out front, the blaze reminiscent of the final moments of Rebecca, Theo couldn’t help but wonder if he’d rather have died in the uncontrollable blaze than live without the house he spent years designing and building.
But with some clarity and his arm right around Ivy’s shoulder, he realized the only possession in the house he’d miss is the black and white photograph of the early blueprint drawn on his wife’s back. Everything else held little meaning. All just vain attempts at trying to be who he thought he should be rather than who he actually is.
He could remember being in bed with Ivy, drawing up their house plans: a moment in time when this house really was their dream and not just his attempt to garner fake praise from his architect friends who threw him out when his career (and the maritime museum) came crashing down.
Theo leaned down and placed a delicate kiss on the top of Ivy’s head, “I guess neither of us gets the house now.”
Ivy chuckled, “I never really wanted it to begin with. Just felt like you wanted it more than you wanted me. So I wanted you not to have it.”
Theo ran his fingers through his hair, “I’ll always want you, even when all of our friends say I shouldn’t.”
Ivy turned her head to look up at her husband, “It’s the same for me. I might actually want you more when the therapists and shit tell us we aren’t healthy or whatever. Fuck ‘em. I want you now and forever.”
Theo laughed and ran his hand along Ivy’s, pulling them both back to the day they met, the immediate tension and longing from one single conversation. “Fuck ‘em. They don’t know us.”
Ivy nodded with a wide smile on her face, finally feeling comfort in the presence of her favorite person after spending so long trying to pretend they could live without each other.
Theo pulled Ivy closer into his side, “You know, I’m glad it’s gone. You were right. It wasn’t our dream anymore. I want to build something new. Something small and intimate just for us, not Architectural Digest or ex-colleagues who say fancy words that don’t mean anything.”
Ivy looked up at Theo and smiled, “It’s nice to have my husband back.”
Theo sat down on the grass and pulled Ivy into his lap, “It’s nice to be back. Promise me we won’t ever go down that road again?”
Ivy leaned into her husband’s shoulder, “I’ll never let you leave me. And if we do…”
Theo kissed the side of her head and said, “I’m taking you out with me.”
Ivy and Theo sat on the ground as the Irish moss atop their house that was never quite a home burned in a bright blaze. Theo tilted his head and said, “It actually is quite beautiful, seeing the moss on fire.”
Ivy nodded, “Makes me really want a joint.”
Theo reached into the pocket of his pants, “Good thing I hid your stash during one of my pettiest moments of sabotage.” Theo pulled a joint out of his pocket, while Ivy pulled a lighter out of hers. As they shared the weed, both Theo and Ivy shuddered at the same time and said, “FUCK.”
Ivy laughed as she blew smoke toward the cascading flames encasing their house. “Are you thinking the same thing as me, dear?
Theo’s eyes grew big with concern, “Ah, yes. I think so. How the fuck are we gonna break the news to the kids?”
Ivy nodded, “Yup. They were downright giddy at the thought of us divorcing.”
Theo could barely contain his laughter as he said, “they were really looking forward to the divorce.”
Ivy mused his hair and placed a sloppy kiss on his neck. “This is going to devastate them.” She couldn’t stop snickering and soon enough, they were both laughing uncontrollably while the house kept burning in the background.
Theo kissed Ivy, his hand wrapping around to cradle her head, “Honestly, I don’t care what they think. I can’t divorce you. I will never want you out of my life, dear.”
Ivy ran her hand up Theo’s chest, “Mmm yeah. I know that’s true. And the same goes for me. Fuck what they think. They’re just kids.”
Theo placed his hand on top of Ivy’s, “They don’t understand love yet. It makes you crazy. But in a good way.”
Theo and Ivy both lean toward each other, their heads knocking as they find a comfortable spot against a tree, their eyes closing as they finally relish in the comfort of being together again without the demands and opinions of everyone else. It was true what they said, they don’t hate each other. They hate everyone else. Theo turns toward Ivy, whispering, “let’s renew our vows when the kids come home.” Ivy laughs and throws her arms around his neck, “Oh, that’s a great idea! All of our friends would absolutely hate that. And I could make a new cake.” She throws her arms around, pointing to the house lit up by red-hot flames. “Of this inferno and how it made our relationship alive again.”
Theo leaned back, his arm firmly snaked around Ivy’s body, with his hand resting near her throat, “Dear, you’re an absolute genius. I can’t imagine my life with anyone else.”
Ivy leaned into his touch, almost as if telling him to squeeze a little, bring some of that darkness into their rekindled romance, "Well, that's good because you're stuck with me."
Theo listened. He whispered against her neck as he placed a serious of searing kisses on her flushed skin, "Do you know what it feels like to be strangled with bare hands?"
Ivy gasped and nodded, an unspoken declaration that he could keep going. With her face showing true bliss, she placed her fingers atop his, pulling his hand back, so she could wrap her fingers around his as he continued, "You're quoting movies about divorce at a time like this?"
Theo squeezed once more, tighter than before and pulled his hand away, pushing her bangs out of her eyes instead, "Only the ones where they live happily ever after and never truly wanted a divorce."