She shakes her head. “No. I’m glad we were able to be honest about our feelings.”
She is? So, I was right. Therapy was a good idea.
“But I don’t think we need to go back.”
“You don’t?”
“No. Now that we’ve been honest with each other, I think we’ve got it from here.”
“I feel like we made a breakthrough. Are you sure you don’t want to keep seeing her?”
She nods. “No. I’ll do better. I’m going to try harder. I don’t need anyone telling me how to do it.”
I was right. Therapy has her unsettled. It’s why she’s been so quiet all evening. The last thing I want is for something else to drive a wedge in between us. “Okay, but if we can’t work this out on our own, we’re going back.”
“Deal. Do you mind if we skip the walk?” she asks.
I hesitate for a moment. “I thought it would be a good way for us to spend time together.”
“I know. But how about we hang out on the patio instead, with some wine?”
I see enough of my patio when I’m alone and need to think. I would much rather take a walk on the beach, but marriage is about compromise, which is something she hardly ever does. “Okay. I’ll put the food away and clean the kitchen.”
“No. I’ll do it.”
I blink a few times, waiting to see if she’s joking. “You’ll clean the kitchen?” I ask again for clarity.
“Yes. I said I would try harder, right?”
“Right.”
“You go relax on the patio. I’ll be out in a bit.”
She rises from her chair and starts to clear the table. Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?
“How about I help you?”
“Okay.”
I grab a pink container that’s one of one hundred pieces of an entire collection she purchased last year. She was adamant on throwing this ridiculous Tupperware party just to get people to buy containers and whatnot. A house full of women, wasting money on containers they can buy at the Dollar Tree. But what do I know? I pour her uneaten portion of food inside the container and turn the faucet on. I add the dish detergent before I realize that I’ve just screwed up in a big way. “Shit,” I grumble.
“What’s wrong.”
“I forgot you hate washing dishes by hand. I’ll load the dishwasher for you, unless you want to leave them for Lula in the morning.”
“Lula? The housekeeper?”
I narrow my eyes. “Yeah. The housekeeper.”
“There’s no need to leave them for her. I’ll do them. After all, the more housework I do, the more money we save in paying her, right?”
“Right.”
“Okay. Then it’s settled.”
I cross my arms. “Are you sure? I know you hate messing up your manicures.”
She chuckles as she crosses the kitchen and stands next to me. “Don’t be ridiculous. I can wash them.”
Okay, something’s up. She doesn’t clean… ever.
She immerses her hands inside the water and closes her eyes. “There’s something about warm water that is so relaxing.”
“Okay. This is weird.”
“What?” she asks as she starts to clean the first plate.
“You, washing the dishes. I’ve never seen you do them.”
Her hands stop moving, and a look of worry seems to set in. She bites her bottom lip for a second before smiling at me.
“I meant it when I said I would I do better. I’m not using the dishwasher tonight, Jasen. I’m going to wash the dishes by hand, you’re going to finish cleaning off the table, and then we’re going to relax on the patio with some good wine and much-needed quality time.”
Morgan
Grandma Rose is probably turning over in her grave.
I dry the last bowl, then pull the stopper out, allowing the water to drain out of the sink. I check the time. I don’t want to keep Jasen waiting too long. After he finished cleaning off the table, he grabbed a bottle of wine from the cellar and said he’d wait for me outside on the patio. I shake my head at the thought of Monroe. We grew up with lots of chores. Since when did she become so lazy? She can’t do her own dishes? I glance down at the fancy dishwasher located in between the lower cabinets beside me. There are at least twenty different buttons to choose from, and the thought of trying to use it gives me a headache. My cell phone vibrates, and I dry my hands before answering it. “Hold on,” I whisper as I hurry to the guest bathroom. I close the door and have a seat on the edge of the tub.
“How did it go with the therapist?” Monroe asks on the other end of the line.
“How the hell do you think it went?”
“Whoa, what’s with the stank attitude, sis?”
“You know damn well why.”
“Jesus Christ, Mo, calm down. I just asked how things went.”
“Don’t call me that, and to answer your question, it was horrible.”
“It was that bad?”
“How could you be so cruel and insensitive?”
“What do you mean?”
“You made me believe that Jasen was this bad person. That he was so terrible, there was no way you could be happy with him. Turns out, it’s all you, Monroe. You’re the reason your marriage is failing.”
“That’s not true. He’s trying to turn me into someone I’m not.”
“He’s doing everything besides trying to walk on water for you, while you’re acting like a selfish bitch. You can’t even do your own dishes?”
She chuckles. “No. That’s why we have Lula. I should probably mention I don’t cook either, so don’t go serving full-course meals, Mo. I bring in chefs for that, or Jasen cooks.”
“This isn’t a joke.”
I open the door slightly to make sure Jasen hasn’t heard my raised voice.
“Whose side are you on?”
“The right side.”
“Listen, sis, our marriage was over long before Jasen suggested counseling.”
“I didn’t know it was this bad between you two.”
There’s a moment of silence. “Exactly what did he say?” she asks.
“He said you’re ungrateful, nothing he ever does is good enough for you, and he wants to fix things with you.”
“I don’t want to fix anything. I want to be free of him.”
“Monroe. Have you even tried?”
“No. Because nothing will fix us. Don’t you see that?”
“I can’t believe this. Jasen is a good man. You need to get back here and make this right. It’s time for you to end this affair with Cooper. Come home, forget about him, and never see him again.”
“That’s going to be kind of hard.”
“What’s so hard about it?”
“Cooper is Jasen’s business partner. I would end up seeing him at some point or another.”
I shut my eyes while I shake my head in disgust. “Out of all the men in California to have an affair with, you choose your husband’s business partner?”
“It wasn’t intentional, and speaking of Cooper, I need a favor?”