The Jade Emperor by Suzanne Jenkins

Author:Suzanne Jenkins [Jenkins, Suzanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-07-21T05:00:00+00:00

After Ken was born, Steve had been adamant. “No more kids, you got it? Four is enough.”

“Okay, Steve. But I can’t take the pill because I have a history of blood clots. They don’t want you to take it after thirty-five. Would you consider having a vasectomy?”

The blood drained from his face and he grabbed his crotch. “No one’s messing with my balls,” he shouted. “You get it done.”

“It’s major surgery for a woman, Steve. I’d have to take time off work. No, you should do it. You don’t want more kids, you get snipped.”

Using her fingers like scissors, she made a cutting motion and hissed, “Snip, snip.”

When Ken was four, Kelly got pregnant with Reggie. She did it by accident/on purpose. Ken was lonely, the twins six years older than he was.

“I’d like to have one more,” she said one evening.

They were sitting together in the backyard, a rare moment as a family, with the twins batting a ball around, and Ken chasing after it. He’d run up to Steve to throw the ball to him.

“You’ve got a great arm, kiddo,” he called out, the compliment even taking four-year-old Ken by surprise.

“You know I don’t want any more,” he replied. “You’re purposely trying to ruin a nice evening.”

“It would be a playmate for Kenny,” she said. “He’s so lonely.”

They watched him trying to get the twins attention, running after them, begging them to include him; it was perfect evidence to back up her claim.

“Augie didn’t have anyone else,” Steve said. “He’s turning out okay.”

“I can’t argue with that,” she replied, resigned. “Do you want a beer?”

“If you’re getting up,” he said.

Looking back, she’d plied him with beer to get her way. Steve could be so easy if Kelly timed it just right, agreed with everything he said no matter how ridiculous, fed him beer, avoided the verboten topics: he hated to talk about their relationship, any social event that involved her friends or family, and issues with the kids. Often suffering the consequences, she never regretted tricking him he called it, into impregnating her.

When she discovered she was pregnant with Reggie, she kept it a secret, lying when the truth came out, telling everyone, even Karen, that she didn’t have the usual symptoms of pregnancy when she started to show and couldn’t hide it any longer.

“You’re getting fat,” Steve said unexpectedly one Saturday morning at breakfast.

Most Saturdays he slept in, but for some reason on that day, he decided to join the family for a meal. Making pancakes for them, she’d come to the table to serve him right from the pan, the spatula in her hand. Staring at her midsection with a sneer on his face, his disgust was apparent. She felt a wave of heat go through her, and for a second she was speechless.

The kids stopped eating, watching him, and then turned to Kelly, who quickly turned her back, closing her eyes, holding her breath and her stomach in, praying as she walked back to the stove.

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