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“Wow,” I start. “I couldn’t have said it any better myself. I guess it’s the drugs and alcohol. Jimmy—I thought was the love of my life. We grew up best friends. Our parents were like siblings, and just the oldest of friends. They decided they wanted the American dream, packing Jimmy and me up, and his parents and mine bought houses next to one another. There was always Jimmy and as my mom said today that if there were arranged marriages, they would have placed us together. But they didn’t have to because Jimmy was my everything. He was my best friend, my partner, and when we finally got serious, we were so much more.” I look away, a little embarrassed.
“You were married, of course you both were more. Doesn’t bother me.” He pulls for my hand and gives it a little kiss. “Continue, sweetheart. I want to hear more.”
“It all started about a year after our marriage. I know he wanted to distance himself from his background, but I didn’t. We agreed we’d take it item by item. Holidays were my thing, and I embraced it with all the Greek roots my mother taught me. But where I wanted to have dinners with our family a couple times a week, Jimmy said we’d make our own traditions. I gave into his wishes, and then he found a job here, and we moved. A year later, I got pregnant and he was intent on having me stay at home. Which was what I wanted, but then as soon as I had Meadow, he demanded I’d return to work. I didn’t know why working was so important. He made good money as an engineer, but he’d lost his job. I had no idea until I tried to use my debit card to buy Meadow diapers and it was declined. We were out, and she was sick—her diaper so full. I was embarrassed, but more so, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what was going on.”
I take a deep breath and I don’t realize I’m crying. I wipe the stupid tears away from my eyes, hoping he doesn’t see them.
“No, don’t do that. It’s okay to feel betrayed.”
He nailed it again. “I never realized how betrayed I felt.” I take in a deep breath, and though we are in the middle of a crowded bowling alley, it’s just Gibson and myself. “Okay, so I took an inheritance from my grandma from years back and bought a house, got a job, put Meadow in childcare, which was the last thing I wanted, and got my life back together. Through it all, I tried to get Jimmy in rehab, and he needed it. But when he hit me for the first time…” I realize I’ve never shared this with anyone but Bridget. And certainly not a man who cares about me.
His hands fist into stone. “He hit you?”
Gibson is composed. Every time I’ve seen him, he’s even Steven, but tonight, with his jaw tight, his eyes become wild.
“Right before I filed for divorce. He was high and drunk. It was the worst he’s ever been.”
His hand reaches for my own, with his spare hand caressing my cheek. “I wish that fucking gun were real now. No man, no real man hits a woman.”
“Yeah, the real man left Jimmy when he chose alcohol and drugs over his wife and daughter. And now all I try to cling to is the man Jimmy once was. I won’t ever love him again, but it’s my hope for Meadow he’ll one day get his act together. Until then, my mother encouraged me to get his rights stripped.”
“You’re an amazing woman—you know that right?” I can’t answer him, I’m not given the chance when he leans over and drops a kiss on my forehead. “Wanna get out of here?”
As much as I love kicking his ass in bowling, yeah, there’s nothing I’d like more than to be alone with Gibson Smith.
