word.
Pat leaned over the table to Louis. “Can you believe how they treat me, little man? No love for poor Uncle Pat.” Louis giggled.
After a little while, everyone had eaten their fill. Henry and Pat had a few beers, as did Annie. Julie, Tara and Jackie had opted for wine.
“Okay, you boys can clean up now. Just leave the food on the counter, and I will make plates for everyone to take home.”
The women sat and drank their wine while Louis, Henry and Patrick cleared the table.
“I can help you; I’m done with my wine anyway,” Jackie said, swigging the last gulp of wine from her glass and standing up.
Great.
Pat eyed Henry, but he only shook his head slightly.
“Oh honey, sit your butt down with us. That‘s what they do, they’ve got it covered,” Annie said with her best fake smile.
Jackie looked around the room unsure for a second before sitting back down.
“So Jackie, tell me how you have been. What’s new in your life?”
Annie to the rescue!
Henry gathered as much as he could carry and headed toward the kitchen, calling back over his shoulder to Pat. “I’ll start soaking these and loading the dishwasher, you and Louis finish clearing.”
“Sure, take the easy way out. I mean the easy job!” Pat said trying not to laugh. Too bad for his dumb ass that he just happened to be standing next to Annie’s spot at the table.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brother rewarded by her with a shin kick. Now that was funny!
After Henry had the dishwasher fully loaded and was drying his hands, the inevitable happened.
“Hey you,” Jackie said from behind him. Henry closed his eyes and rubbed his index finger across his brow. Turned his head to the side in her direction, “Hey.”
“Can we talk out back?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Henry bit the inside of his cheek before he could say HELL NO! and run the other way.
He walked over to the door and held it open for her to walk through ahead of him.
Once they were in the backyard and out of ear shot, Henry stood there. He put one hand in his pocket and rested the other one against the tree that now boasted a new tire swing. He waited for Jackie to speak. He really didn’t have much to say himself. He felt like he had said what he needed to. But he would give her this moment, nothing she said was going to change his mind though, he was absolutely sure of that.
“So, that was awkward,” Jackie said hesitantly.
“Well I guess so, I had no idea that you were coming here,” Henry replied.
“I wanted to see you. I mean what happened yesterday was so silly. I guess that you were just having a bad day. So, I’ll forgive you.” Jackie leaned toward Henry and tried to rub his arm, but he stepped back out of reach.
“I don’t need you to forgive me, Jackie. I just don’t think we should see each other anymore, and yesterday was the straw that broke the camel’s back I guess.”
Jackie looked as if he had slapped her. She started to turn red and balled up her fists by her sides, eyes closed. She rolled her head back and forth several times. Henry braced himself for the hit that it appeared was coming.
However, after a few beats, she opened her eyes and unclenched her fists.
“Henry, love, I am going to give you a few days. I’m not sure what is wrong with you. I’m going to wait it out though. We are not throwing away all that we have. Sorry, but I’m not letting it happen.”
“Jackie we didn’t have much to begin with. I don’t want this relationship to go any further. Honestly, it can’t.”
“What do you mean it can’t? Is there someone else? Are you cheating on me, Henry Hayes? I swear to God if I find out.” Jackie had her finger pointed in his face.
Henry really just wanted to walk away. Had it been anyone else, he would have, but because of Tara, he knew that he wouldn’t. It would just make things worse.
“All there is left to say Jackie, is that I hope we can be civil to each other.” He refused to say I
Pat leaned over the table to Louis. “Can you believe how they treat me, little man? No love for poor Uncle Pat.” Louis giggled.
After a little while, everyone had eaten their fill. Henry and Pat had a few beers, as did Annie. Julie, Tara and Jackie had opted for wine.
“Okay, you boys can clean up now. Just leave the food on the counter, and I will make plates for everyone to take home.”
The women sat and drank their wine while Louis, Henry and Patrick cleared the table.
“I can help you; I’m done with my wine anyway,” Jackie said, swigging the last gulp of wine from her glass and standing up.
Great.
Pat eyed Henry, but he only shook his head slightly.
“Oh honey, sit your butt down with us. That‘s what they do, they’ve got it covered,” Annie said with her best fake smile.
Jackie looked around the room unsure for a second before sitting back down.
“So Jackie, tell me how you have been. What’s new in your life?”
Annie to the rescue!
Henry gathered as much as he could carry and headed toward the kitchen, calling back over his shoulder to Pat. “I’ll start soaking these and loading the dishwasher, you and Louis finish clearing.”
“Sure, take the easy way out. I mean the easy job!” Pat said trying not to laugh. Too bad for his dumb ass that he just happened to be standing next to Annie’s spot at the table.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brother rewarded by her with a shin kick. Now that was funny!
After Henry had the dishwasher fully loaded and was drying his hands, the inevitable happened.
“Hey you,” Jackie said from behind him. Henry closed his eyes and rubbed his index finger across his brow. Turned his head to the side in her direction, “Hey.”
“Can we talk out back?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Henry bit the inside of his cheek before he could say HELL NO! and run the other way.
He walked over to the door and held it open for her to walk through ahead of him.
Once they were in the backyard and out of ear shot, Henry stood there. He put one hand in his pocket and rested the other one against the tree that now boasted a new tire swing. He waited for Jackie to speak. He really didn’t have much to say himself. He felt like he had said what he needed to. But he would give her this moment, nothing she said was going to change his mind though, he was absolutely sure of that.
“So, that was awkward,” Jackie said hesitantly.
“Well I guess so, I had no idea that you were coming here,” Henry replied.
“I wanted to see you. I mean what happened yesterday was so silly. I guess that you were just having a bad day. So, I’ll forgive you.” Jackie leaned toward Henry and tried to rub his arm, but he stepped back out of reach.
“I don’t need you to forgive me, Jackie. I just don’t think we should see each other anymore, and yesterday was the straw that broke the camel’s back I guess.”
Jackie looked as if he had slapped her. She started to turn red and balled up her fists by her sides, eyes closed. She rolled her head back and forth several times. Henry braced himself for the hit that it appeared was coming.
However, after a few beats, she opened her eyes and unclenched her fists.
“Henry, love, I am going to give you a few days. I’m not sure what is wrong with you. I’m going to wait it out though. We are not throwing away all that we have. Sorry, but I’m not letting it happen.”
“Jackie we didn’t have much to begin with. I don’t want this relationship to go any further. Honestly, it can’t.”
“What do you mean it can’t? Is there someone else? Are you cheating on me, Henry Hayes? I swear to God if I find out.” Jackie had her finger pointed in his face.
Henry really just wanted to walk away. Had it been anyone else, he would have, but because of Tara, he knew that he wouldn’t. It would just make things worse.
“All there is left to say Jackie, is that I hope we can be civil to each other.” He refused to say I
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