Making the Rules by Emma Leigh Reed

Author:Emma Leigh Reed [Reed, Emma Leigh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781944550103
Publisher: ELR Publishing
Published: 2019-12-13T22:00:00+00:00

17

Jack

I was late getting home. I never could pick up Charlotte from my sister’s house and get out of there quickly. I know she meant well, but my sister was pushing for me to forget about Isabelle. Finally, not being able to take it anymore, I broke down and told her about going to counselling and how Izzy was a big part of my thoughts right now, not so much because how I was feeling about her, but because there were so many uncertainties in my life that I had no idea what to do about. I admitted to her that I had no plan of action for what direction I wanted my life to go.

When I finally drove up to my house, it was dark. Madde’s car was nowhere to be seen. She hadn’t said she was working late, and a small niggling in the back of my mind brought to the forefront the coat on the chair across from her at the coffee shop. I shook the thought away. There was no way Madde would do that to me. She may be mad at me, but she wouldn’t throw away our marriage vows…would she? Was it possible that I was the only one who felt a sense of obligation to our wedding vows?

After bathing Charlotte and reading her a bedtime story, I had settled her down and was sitting quietly in the living room when Madde walked in the door. She stopped short when she saw me just sitting there. “Everything okay?” She asked.

“Shouldn’t it be?” I replied.

She shrugged, but didn’t speak.

“Where have you been?” The question was quiet and held no accusation, but sounded so defeated, even to my own ears.

She turned to look at me. “Out, why?”

“Since when, if you are ‘out’, do you not bother to say you won’t be home for dinner? Have we lost any common courtesy between us?”

She seemed to search my face for signs of what…anger, sadness? She didn’t answer for a moment and then she walked over and sat on the couch. “Maybe we can finally have a conversation, if that is alright with you.” The snarkiness of her words immediately put me on edge, yet this is the conversation I wanted.

“Sure.” I waited for her to speak.

She cleared her throat. “This is ridiculous, Jack. Neither one of us is happy.”

“Is it because of Charlotte? I don’t understand you being so hateful to her.” She started to speak, but I raised my hand to stop her. “Yes, I understand you being mad at me because I didn’t talk to you before I brought her home, but there truly was no time.”

“I wouldn’t have brought her home like a stray cat. The mother had other options.” Her words were like a glass of ice water hitting me in the face. Could she really be that heartless?

“Madde.”

“Don’t Madde me. It’s my turn now. Just listen for a change.” She took a deep breath. “We haven’t been on the same page for a long time, Jack…long before you brought her home.

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