pride

"ill aways love you"

Chris sighed in content as he sat on his couch, he had had finished the chores: the house was vacuumed, dusted, polished, and the dishes were done. He enjoyed days off of work such as these. The only thing that could have made it better would be if Elise were there to enjoy it with him. It was then that the phone had rung...and of course it was Dan. He wanted some help with a new revenge scheme that Dan knew Chris would say "yes" to. It was a few hours later that the man found himself in the middle of New Mexico at some rinky-dink gas station.

Chris listed the several food items he had in his arms. Road trips always made him extra hungry, not that he hadn't eaten like that all the time. As he reached the end of his list he saw his wife, Elise, give him a frown.

"What?" Chris asked innocently.

"Chris we talked about this, what about eating healthier?" Elise questioned, still giving him a look that made Chris feel like a child.

"That doesn't apply on road trips," Chris stated, trying to sound more certain than he was.

"Yes, it does," she said matter-of-factly. Chris tried to argue, though he stumbled over his words. "Please, Chris, for me?" his beautiful wife begged, her purple eyes wide and bright.

"Fine," Chris reluctantly agreed.

"Thank you, Chris. You know I only worry about your health-"

"Oh, milkshakes! I choose milkshake," Chris interrupted excitedly. He knew the speech anyway, Elise was only looking out for him, she always did.

Chris practically flew over to the dairy mixer in the small gas station convenience store. He hugged the machine and decided he wanted a cookie milkshake.

"Chris," Elise called, warning him to make a better choice.

"It's still one thing if the cookies are inside," Chris said sternly, he had already compromised with only getting a milkshake.

"Fine," Elise agreed, she folded under her husband's demand. "But we're having salads for dinner,"

"Dan said we were having burgers," Chris complained, he already got his hopes up for dinner. Besides, he didn't want to have eaten what food ate.

"If Dan jumped off a cliff would you?" Elise questioned.

Chris became silent, he knew Elise was only using a common expression, but the sentence caused his mind to wander to a similar situation. A situation that brought dread to his heart.

"Chris," Elise snapped, she seemed angry at his lack of a response. He could see the worry in her eyes. As much as Chris wanted to lie to her and tell her he'd never do it, he hadn't the heart to lie to that wonderful woman.

"I-well...it'd really depend on the situation," Chris explained quickly, shrugging his shoulders in a hope for mercy.

"You'd jump off a cliff?"

"No, of course not-"

"But if Dan did you would?" Elise asked again. Like the first time Chris became silent, torn between the truth and the need to reassure his wife everything would be fine.