Eight Minutes by Lori Reisenbichler

Author:Lori Reisenbichler
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2015-02-16T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

* * *

MAD ABOUT THE DOG

Sorry we’re late,” I say to Lakshmi as I join her on the blanket spread under the tree. I wanted to cancel our standing play date but felt it wasn’t fair to Toby. The boys head off toward the slide and I turn away, not allowing myself the opportunity to notice what version of the game they will play today.

“So, I want to hear! What did Eric say?”

It feels like I’ve aged twenty years since Vaughn Redford asked me about my dead dog.

“He didn’t believe me . . .” my voice trails off.

“Are you okay? You don’t sound like yourself.”

I smile but feel my eyes rim red. She squeezes my hand and waits.

“We had a horrible fight last night. Somehow we got from Thud, which I thought would make him feel better, to my mom, to talking about his accident, and the next thing I know—”

“He tells you you’re crazy.” Lakshmi finishes for me. “That’s his default position, you know, when you don’t agree with him.”

In the past, I’ve felt I could tell Lakshmi anything, but I’ve never needed to tell her that my husband left my bed, that he loves me less today than yesterday, that the connection with my soul mate might be less eternal than I want to believe possible. If I fix it, I don’t actually have to say that out loud to anyone. And maybe it won’t be true.

“Why is he so defensive about this?” she asks.

I rub my eyes in an attempt to camouflage my involuntary tears. If I start crying out here in the park, I may never stop. “Gawd! I just want John Robberson to go away.”

“You know what to do. It’s a puzzle with only one missing piece.” She twists her hair into a ponytail, a gesture as familiar as her tone. “John Robberson wants Toby to go see Kay. Obviously, he’s using Toby to get a message to her. I know you don’t like it, but that’s all he’s wanted for weeks.”

“I know.”

“Then give him what he wants! Have you ever thought of this from his perspective? Put the pieces together. You’ve got an Air Force fighter pilot who survived a plane crash in Vietnam. Voluntarily or not, he leaves the military and becomes a fire chief. This man spent his life with a front-row seat to trauma. He’s seen and done worse things than you can imagine. I’m willing to bet he’s no rank-and-file follower, Shelly. He’s used to taking risks, and he’s used to getting his way. He’s a spirit with unfinished business with his wife. If you help him with his marriage, maybe it will help you with yours.”

Or destroy mine. The involuntary tears again. I dig in my bag until I find something to throw away.

On the way to the trash can, I look over at the boys and see they’ve added a new twist to the fireman game. Sanjay is on all fours, barking like a dog, inside the plastic cube at the top of the connecting slides.

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