that.”
“Silence is the killer of every marriage.”
Patrick rocked in the chair. “She loves you. You still love her?”
“I wouldn’t put up with her shit if I
didn’t.”
“But is it just her shit, though?”
David scooted closer to the desk. “I’m not
following.”
“I notice you tend to put the blame on Val
a lot, but you gotta look at what you’re doing too.”
David pointed to himself. “I don’t do
anything.”
“Maybe
you don’t realize that you do it.”
Patrick nodded. “That’s what I did with Layla. I blamed everything that went
wrong about our marriage on her illness.” He stared at his desk. “She wasn’t
perfect, but I had problems too.”
“These Oates women…I tell you.” David
shook his head. “They’ll drive a man as crazy as hell.”
“But it’s worth it.” Patrick sipped from
his coffee cup. “It’s worth it just to wake up next to that beautiful woman and
hold her in your arms. You’re so damn lucky, David. Hold on to Val before you
lose her for good.”
“Wait a minute.” He laid his hand on the
desk. “What’s going on? You act like you’re missing Layla.”
“I’ve been missing her since we first separated.” Patrick touched the keyboard. “Now I’m
wanting her again…I mean really wanting.”
David propped his right leg on his left. “Are
you saying you’re still in love with Layla?”
“I never stopped being in love with her.”
“You were the one who wanted the divorce.”
“I didn’t want it.” He hit the desk. “I fucked up. I never intended for
things to go that far. I was stressed out and upset. I never thought that when
I told her I wanted out that she wanted the same thing.”
“I don’t understand this at all. You guys
just got divorced a month ago. How the hell can you not be sure?”
“I never wanted the divorce. I told her
that to push her into shaping up.”
“Shaping up? She did the best she could.” “I
see that now.” Patrick held his head. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Let me get this straight. You told your
wife you wanted a divorce but didn’t. But because you’re so damn stubborn and
you saw she really wanted a divorce…you let it happen?”
“Yes,” Patrick whispered. “I gambled with
my marriage. I didn’t know Layla felt the way she did. She was more tired than
I was, and she wasn’t in love with me anymore. If she had been, I’d have fought
for her. But how can I fight for someone who doesn’t want me?”
“Man, this is tripping me out. You want
Layla back?”
“More than anything.”
“Jesus.” David stood. “I thought Val and I
were fucked up. But like you said, at least we communicate. It’s like you and
Layla live on two different planets from each other. Does she know you still
want her?”
“She figures I care because of the girls
and the history we got together, but she doesn’t know I want her back.” Patrick
moved his glasses to the side. “And I do. I want her back. I want my wife back. What do I do?”
“I came down here to get advice from you .”
Patrick glared at him with his head to the
side. “David.”
“What do you expect me to say?” David
hunched his shoulders. “Patrick, you threw away your twenty year marriage to
prove a point. How could you do that?”
“I don’t know.” He looked at his desk. “How
do you get your wife back after you just got divorced?”
“I can’t help you on that .” David held up his hands. “All I can say is: this time, be
honest and open. Stop treating relationships like competitions. Layla’s a good
woman. How could you just throw that away?”
“I gotta let her know how I feel.” Patrick
bounced in the chair. “I’ll think things over and make my move.”
“Good luck with that.” David went to the
door and then stopped. “Uh…” He turned around. “Never mind. See you.”
“Hold on. You got something else to talk
about?”
“No,” he lied.
“Come on. Didn’t you just scold me on
“Silence is the killer of every marriage.”
Patrick rocked in the chair. “She loves you. You still love her?”
“I wouldn’t put up with her shit if I
didn’t.”
“But is it just her shit, though?”
David scooted closer to the desk. “I’m not
following.”
“I notice you tend to put the blame on Val
a lot, but you gotta look at what you’re doing too.”
David pointed to himself. “I don’t do
anything.”
“Maybe
you don’t realize that you do it.”
Patrick nodded. “That’s what I did with Layla. I blamed everything that went
wrong about our marriage on her illness.” He stared at his desk. “She wasn’t
perfect, but I had problems too.”
“These Oates women…I tell you.” David
shook his head. “They’ll drive a man as crazy as hell.”
“But it’s worth it.” Patrick sipped from
his coffee cup. “It’s worth it just to wake up next to that beautiful woman and
hold her in your arms. You’re so damn lucky, David. Hold on to Val before you
lose her for good.”
“Wait a minute.” He laid his hand on the
desk. “What’s going on? You act like you’re missing Layla.”
“I’ve been missing her since we first separated.” Patrick touched the keyboard. “Now I’m
wanting her again…I mean really wanting.”
David propped his right leg on his left. “Are
you saying you’re still in love with Layla?”
“I never stopped being in love with her.”
“You were the one who wanted the divorce.”
“I didn’t want it.” He hit the desk. “I fucked up. I never intended for
things to go that far. I was stressed out and upset. I never thought that when
I told her I wanted out that she wanted the same thing.”
“I don’t understand this at all. You guys
just got divorced a month ago. How the hell can you not be sure?”
“I never wanted the divorce. I told her
that to push her into shaping up.”
“Shaping up? She did the best she could.” “I
see that now.” Patrick held his head. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Let me get this straight. You told your
wife you wanted a divorce but didn’t. But because you’re so damn stubborn and
you saw she really wanted a divorce…you let it happen?”
“Yes,” Patrick whispered. “I gambled with
my marriage. I didn’t know Layla felt the way she did. She was more tired than
I was, and she wasn’t in love with me anymore. If she had been, I’d have fought
for her. But how can I fight for someone who doesn’t want me?”
“Man, this is tripping me out. You want
Layla back?”
“More than anything.”
“Jesus.” David stood. “I thought Val and I
were fucked up. But like you said, at least we communicate. It’s like you and
Layla live on two different planets from each other. Does she know you still
want her?”
“She figures I care because of the girls
and the history we got together, but she doesn’t know I want her back.” Patrick
moved his glasses to the side. “And I do. I want her back. I want my wife back. What do I do?”
“I came down here to get advice from you .”
Patrick glared at him with his head to the
side. “David.”
“What do you expect me to say?” David
hunched his shoulders. “Patrick, you threw away your twenty year marriage to
prove a point. How could you do that?”
“I don’t know.” He looked at his desk. “How
do you get your wife back after you just got divorced?”
“I can’t help you on that .” David held up his hands. “All I can say is: this time, be
honest and open. Stop treating relationships like competitions. Layla’s a good
woman. How could you just throw that away?”
“I gotta let her know how I feel.” Patrick
bounced in the chair. “I’ll think things over and make my move.”
“Good luck with that.” David went to the
door and then stopped. “Uh…” He turned around. “Never mind. See you.”
“Hold on. You got something else to talk
about?”
“No,” he lied.
“Come on. Didn’t you just scold me on
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