play the one upstairs. ”
“Why not?”
“It was mommy’s …” she says, sighing.
Poor Madeline. I get why he doesn’t let her play. It reminds him of his wife, and I can see why it would hurt hearing that thing being played again.
“Oh, but the piano we’re going to be using is a special one,” I say, and I lean forward to whisper into her ear. “Shh, it’s a secret. Daddy can’t know. It’s our piano. Don’t tell him.”
She puts her hand in front of her tiny mouth and nods vigorously. From the corner of my eyes I can see Jack rolling his eyes, but his lips quirk up into a small smile too.
When we arrive in town, Jack’s face has grown increasingly tense. His lips are jammed together and his walk looks stiff as we leave the car. I grab his hand, which twitches as we touch. Skin to skin is calming him down, I can feel it in his grip. But his palms are definitely sweaty.
With each step we take his breathing becomes more ragged.
“It’s gonna be fine, don’t worry about it,” I say.
“I’m not liking this one bit,” he murmurs.
“It’s not too late to turn around.”
He stops in his tracks. “Yes, please.”
I chortle. “No, I mean for you only. I’m going in anyway.”
“Fine,” he growls.
Crushing his lips, he clenches my hand and proceeds to the bar with giant steps. It’s almost as if he thinks increasing our pace will make us leave here faster, too. Guess he’s just too stubborn to stay behind.
“Yes, daddy, it’s going to be fine!” Madeli ne says, and she smiles at him.
He scowls at me, and it makes me laugh out loud.
It’s quiet inside the bar; there are only a handful of people there, sipping their beers, and watching a football game on the television hanging from the wall. When Jack and Karen lock eyes, they both stop moving. The look in their eyes predicts thunder.
Karen puts down the glass and comes out from behind the bar. “Well, if it isn’t my brother.”
Jack frowns and squints as she walks up to him. “What the hell brings you here?” she say s, folding her arms.
“ Fuck this,” Jack says, and he wants to turn around, but I pull him with both hands, causing him to scramble back.
“C’mon … Don’ t be so hardheaded.”
“ Me? Hardheaded? Seriously?” Jack says.
Karen laughs. “Yeah, Jackie. Why don’t you calm down a bit.”
“Do not call me Jackie.”
“Why not? It’s your name, innit?” she spits into a bowl standing in the corner on the floor, and I wince at the sight.
“My name is Jack, and you fucking know that , you cavewoman. Now let’s get out of here, I can’t stand the way she acts around me.” Jack pulls my hand, but I stay put.
“Cavewoman?” I utter.
“Ahh, now don’t leave. Why the swearing?” Karen says, smirking.
“You started it!” Jack yells.
I laugh. “You sound like two quibbling little kids.” I stand in between them when Jack starts to clench his fists and breathes loudly. “Let’s all just calm down and have a drink, okay?”
I look down at Madeline who’s just standing there, squeezing Jack’s hand, ready to start crying. I’d rather prevent that.
“Let’s keep it civil, shall we?” I say, tilting my head to alert Jack of Madeline. “Don’t want to upset her.”
“Yeah, I think a beer will do us all good,” Karen says, and she turns around.
“Not thirsty,” Jack growls.
“Oh, c’mon, Jack. Stop making this more difficult,” I sa y, and frown.
I pull him to a table in the corner, far away from the bar, because I know he’ll be mor e pissed if we sit too near Karen. When she comes back with two beers and another bottle, I clench my hands in the hopes things will go all right. Why can’t they just behave like normal adults?
Karen hands a glass of chocolate milk to Madeline, whose face lights up as if she’s just been handed a Christmas present. She starts drinking right away, and has no eye for us anymore. Good, because I’m thinking this whole thing here between
“Why not?”
“It was mommy’s …” she says, sighing.
Poor Madeline. I get why he doesn’t let her play. It reminds him of his wife, and I can see why it would hurt hearing that thing being played again.
“Oh, but the piano we’re going to be using is a special one,” I say, and I lean forward to whisper into her ear. “Shh, it’s a secret. Daddy can’t know. It’s our piano. Don’t tell him.”
She puts her hand in front of her tiny mouth and nods vigorously. From the corner of my eyes I can see Jack rolling his eyes, but his lips quirk up into a small smile too.
When we arrive in town, Jack’s face has grown increasingly tense. His lips are jammed together and his walk looks stiff as we leave the car. I grab his hand, which twitches as we touch. Skin to skin is calming him down, I can feel it in his grip. But his palms are definitely sweaty.
With each step we take his breathing becomes more ragged.
“It’s gonna be fine, don’t worry about it,” I say.
“I’m not liking this one bit,” he murmurs.
“It’s not too late to turn around.”
He stops in his tracks. “Yes, please.”
I chortle. “No, I mean for you only. I’m going in anyway.”
“Fine,” he growls.
Crushing his lips, he clenches my hand and proceeds to the bar with giant steps. It’s almost as if he thinks increasing our pace will make us leave here faster, too. Guess he’s just too stubborn to stay behind.
“Yes, daddy, it’s going to be fine!” Madeli ne says, and she smiles at him.
He scowls at me, and it makes me laugh out loud.
It’s quiet inside the bar; there are only a handful of people there, sipping their beers, and watching a football game on the television hanging from the wall. When Jack and Karen lock eyes, they both stop moving. The look in their eyes predicts thunder.
Karen puts down the glass and comes out from behind the bar. “Well, if it isn’t my brother.”
Jack frowns and squints as she walks up to him. “What the hell brings you here?” she say s, folding her arms.
“ Fuck this,” Jack says, and he wants to turn around, but I pull him with both hands, causing him to scramble back.
“C’mon … Don’ t be so hardheaded.”
“ Me? Hardheaded? Seriously?” Jack says.
Karen laughs. “Yeah, Jackie. Why don’t you calm down a bit.”
“Do not call me Jackie.”
“Why not? It’s your name, innit?” she spits into a bowl standing in the corner on the floor, and I wince at the sight.
“My name is Jack, and you fucking know that , you cavewoman. Now let’s get out of here, I can’t stand the way she acts around me.” Jack pulls my hand, but I stay put.
“Cavewoman?” I utter.
“Ahh, now don’t leave. Why the swearing?” Karen says, smirking.
“You started it!” Jack yells.
I laugh. “You sound like two quibbling little kids.” I stand in between them when Jack starts to clench his fists and breathes loudly. “Let’s all just calm down and have a drink, okay?”
I look down at Madeline who’s just standing there, squeezing Jack’s hand, ready to start crying. I’d rather prevent that.
“Let’s keep it civil, shall we?” I say, tilting my head to alert Jack of Madeline. “Don’t want to upset her.”
“Yeah, I think a beer will do us all good,” Karen says, and she turns around.
“Not thirsty,” Jack growls.
“Oh, c’mon, Jack. Stop making this more difficult,” I sa y, and frown.
I pull him to a table in the corner, far away from the bar, because I know he’ll be mor e pissed if we sit too near Karen. When she comes back with two beers and another bottle, I clench my hands in the hopes things will go all right. Why can’t they just behave like normal adults?
Karen hands a glass of chocolate milk to Madeline, whose face lights up as if she’s just been handed a Christmas present. She starts drinking right away, and has no eye for us anymore. Good, because I’m thinking this whole thing here between
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