AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You mean ‘text’, right?”
“Obviously.”
“Bye, chick,” I say.
“Toodles.”
She ends the call and I take a minute to envy her life. The quiet during the day and the perfect family life at night. Her and Kenny are a match made in heaven. They work well together. They seem to have found that groove that allows them to do their own thing, but also come together as a well-oiled machine.
Much like the one I have with the pre-school teachers.
Looking around my house tells me that I’ll never have that. Nick is never home. My kids are full of attitude. And my anxiety is getting to the point that I probably need medication.
I groan and head into the next room, grabbing the vacuum on my way through. I stop in the hallway to look at the family pictures we’ve had taken over the years. We used to look so happy and so full of energy. Like we couldn’t wait to be done with the pictures just so we could be home doing something together.
Now, I’m lucky if we have a family game night twice a year. Is it too much to ask for my family to just get along? Be around and be useful? Stop taking advantage of me?
Everyone says kids will be kids and “that’s a typical male thing”, but when do I get some recognition?
The dryer beeps again and I realize, as I stand with the vacuum in my hand, that my scatter-brained self forgot to finish my last task.
“This is why I hate phone calls,” I say to Spencer who is peeking into the hallway at me. I smile at him, knowing he has no idea what I’m saying and lay the vacuum on the floor to come back to later. “And why mommy needs a break.”
The sun has set, the kids are tucked in, and once again; Nick is late coming home. My back hurts from leaning over the washer and dryer. My feet hurt from being on them, and from dropping the bottle of cleaner on my big toe when my hands were wet from the dishwasher.
I just hurt. And when I hurt, I drink.
I’m sitting on the couch with my wine in one hand and the baby monitor in the other when the front door opens. Quietly, I set the monitor on the end table beside me and pick up the book that I was reading the other night when I couldn’t sleep.
Time to appear as though I’m absorbed in something important.
The sound of his keys jingling makes my stomach flip. I know I’ll have to face the fight from last night, but I just don’t want to deal with it. I don’t have the mental capacity to fight with him anymore or defend my reasons for being upset.
So, I don’t say anything. I take another sip from my wine glass and keep my eyes on the steamy book in my hands.
“Hi,” he says, walking into the living room.
I adjust the blanket on my lap, but don’t say anything.
“Oh, so we’re not talking now?”
I snap my book shut and look at him, my face emotionless. “We haven’t talked all day, Nick. Why change that now?”
“We were texting earlier.”
“No,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “I texted you and got a reply back saying you were with a client. Very touching conversation.”
I get up from the couch and put my book on the end table before walking toward the hallway.
“Oh good. Just walk away from me.”
“That’s the plan,” I snap. “I really have nothing to say to you.” He just stares at me so I continue. “You’re never here, Nick. This isn’t a relationship. You’re my goddamn roommate, for Christ’s sake.”
“That’s bullshit,” Nick yells.
I whip around and hiss, “So help me god if you wake up these fucking kids I will have your head on a pike.”
The bite in my voice makes my heart ache for what we’re going through. The fact that we can’t get through one night without bickering at each other.
