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I’m glad she’s here instead of Jack. I didn’t want him to see me completely unraveled this way.
Just as I think that, I hear Jack’s keys turning in the door. I wipe my face hastily and straighten up. “Thank you for being here,” I say to her. She watches me carefully as I clear my throat and take a sip from my warm cup.
“No problem,” she says. Jack and Martin walk in and she smiles up at them politely.
“Hey,” he says, his eyes flitting between us. The tension in the room has risen significantly.
Jennie stands and clears her throat. “I probably should get going,” she says. “Call me later?” I nod in response and with that, she leaves the apartment.
“Hi, Sarah!” Martin says brightly.
I manage a smile and respond. “Hey, big guy. How was school?”
“Hey, Martin,” Jack interrupts. “Why don’t you go and play for a little bit before dinner?”
Martin looks up at his dad curiously, then says, “Okay.”
His gaze falls on me and he asks Martin to go to his room to play a bit.
“What happened?” he asks as soon as Martin’s out of the room. “Jennie left a message that you were in the hospital. I was about to go see you…but you’re here.”
“It’s nothing,” I say. I stand up and take the nearly full tea cups to the kitchen. He follows me.
“The hospital isn’tnothing. What’s going on?”
“Jack, I…it’s not a big deal, okay? I mean, everything’s okay. I’m okay. The baby’s okay—”
“I’ve been trying to call you all day,” he says. “Did something happen this morning--?”
“My phone was off,” I say. “I just needed some peace and quiet this morning.”
“Peace and quiet?” he squawks. “From what? Nobody’s here but you. What’s going on with you?” Jack’s glaring at me, his eyes dark and angry. He can read my weak attempt at deception all over my face.
“You know,” I say defensively, “all I ask is for a little space every now and then—”
“Space? When have you asked me for space—”
“And then here you come, crowding me in like I’m your possession—”
“What?What are you talking about?”
“I’m not your possession,” I say, stomping my foot. “You don’t have to keep me up on a pedestal and take care of me like I’m some kind of…porcelain doll. I’m fine. I just needed some space, that’s all.”
We’re glaring at each other. This conversation has gone completely off the rails, but I can’t seem to stop it. The train is moving and I can’t stop it…
“Sarah…” He pauses and looks away from me for a second, obviously rearranging his thoughts. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you need to talk to me. If I’ve done something wrong—”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Not everything is about you, you know.”
His eyes widen in shock. Then he puts his hands up and says, “Fine. Freeze me out. When you’re ready to talk, you know where I am.”
And he leaves. He just leaves me in the kitchen. A few minutes later, he and Martin come walking out from the bedrooms. He’s telling Martin to put his jacket on.
“Where are you going?”
“We’re going to get some ice cream,” he says. “We’ll be back by dinnertime.”
And he’s gone. And I’m alone. Again. I sit down and put my hands to my face wearily.What am I doing…?
