I Married You for Happiness by Lily Tuck

Author:Lily Tuck [Tuck, Lily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9780802119919
Publisher: Grove Press
Published: 2011-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Philip’s metabolism is good; he does not gain weight. He eats what he wants and eats everything.

She remembers the chicken getting cold downstairs—the sauce and fat congealing together on the platter. She prefers the white meat, the breast; Philip prefers the thigh and drumstick.

How well suited they are.

Louise, she thinks.

Oblivious, Louise is asleep, content after sex, in the arms of a handsome young man. In the morning, everything will change. The handsome young man will be forgotten as Louise quickly packs her suitcase, drives to the airport, and flies back home.

Louise, Philip’s darling. Always strong and sensible.

When she was two years old, Louise came down with spinal meningitis. Nina did not recognize the symptoms right away—fever and vomiting. At the time, she thought Louise had a stomach flu or had eaten something that did not agree with her.

Then Louise had a seizure. Then she went into a coma.

For once, Nina prayed. In the hospital chapel, on her knees, she prayed and prayed. She lit candles for Louise. She made God all kinds of promises she could not keep.

God in heaven, Nina says to herself.

God in heaven, she repeats, not sure what she means. Green pastures filled with contented white sheep is how she sees it. Wearing dresses, the color of candy, Iris and Lorna are waiting for Philip.

Like in a bad novel.

But going through the motions—attending church, kneeling, praying—is what, according to Philip, Pascal recommends for people like her who still question the existence of God.

She tries to remember the words of the psalm: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me lie down in green pastures—she shuts her eyes to think but she has forgotten what comes next.

A different song begins to sound in her head:

Won’t you lay your head upon your savior’s breast

I love you but Jesus loves you the best

And we bid you good night, good night, good night….

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