Meet Me in the Forest

Chapter 2: Tommy

"Yeah, that sounds great, Murphy. See you soon."

"Who was that, Tommy?" Dana lugged in the laundry basket, a pile already waiting to be folded on the bed. Tommy rushed to grab it from her.

"It was Murphy. Honey, you really shouldn't be carrying things this heavy. Let me do this."

Dana giggled and let him take the basket, but not relenting on letting him fold the clothes. "You suck at folding anyway. What did Murphy want?"

"Jack said he was in for the camping trip, so Murphy wants to go out tonight and start getting supplies. I said I'd go because we don't have sleeping bags anymore." Tommy paused in his unloading. "Should you really be going camping? I know it's early still, but..."

"The doctor said I'm fine, Tommy, I can do all the normal things right now if I'm up for them. And we haven't seen our friends in so long, I would feel bad not going."

Tommy raised his hands, waving the proverbial white flag. "Alright, alright. We're probably going to get lunch after, is there anything you want?"

Dana set the pile in her hands in the drawer and then pulled Tommy in for a kiss, sighing as his arms wound around her. "A chicken burrito the size of my head."

"You got it. I won't be long so if you need me, and no carrying heavy things, and-"

Dana shoved him towards the door. "Just go, don't forget my burrito."

Tommy laughed as he pulled out of the driveway. And to think, when they first got engaged he was scared to death. He had been a wild child in his teen years but for whatever reason, Dana loved him as he was and it had been terrifying. But looking back, he didn't regret getting married so young and he certainly didn't regret Dana.

But he had lied to her. He wasn't meeting Murphy, even though Murphy had texted to say Jack was in he didn't ask to meet up. This was a meeting Tommy wasn't looking forward to and hoped it wouldn't ever come. But it has and now he has to face some hard truths.

When Tommy got home, giant burrito and a surprise cherry slush in hand, there were a million thoughts rushing in his head. As soon as he saw Dana, wrapped in a blanket and her favorite crime show on TV, all of it melted away. It was tomorrow's problem and tonight was all about his little family.

"How is Murphy doing?", Dana said through a mouthful of beans and chicken. Tommy wiped the sauce on her chin, earning a little angry grunt in the process.

"He's fine, excited about the trip. He said it's a new campground by him and he's been wanting to go for a while now."

"Is he still with that what's-her-name from the bar? Candace, I think her name was?"

Tommy laughed, setting down his taco and excited for the gossip session. "No, apparently she has a big thing for feet and the last few times they were together, she was really insistent on it. He got so grossed out he kicked her out that night, before they went to dinner."

Dana's mouth dropped. "No way, I never would have guessed that. Did he actually go through with it or was the idea alone sufficient?"

"No, she made him watch foot porn and he barely got through five minutes of it before she was packing." He took a bite of taco, smiling ear-to-ear. "I am never going to let him live this down."

Dana continued to gush about how horrible and funny that would be, and Tommy felt a bubble of guilt building in his belly. Murphy broke up with Candace months ago, and while the feet story is true he still felt guilty lying that he had just heard the story. Tommy hated lying to Dana, especially now, but this secret wasn't ready to be told. And if it did come out the wrong way, he might lose Dana forever.

"Poor Murphy, that has to be such an embarrassing situation all around. I wonder-" Dana paused, her hand clapping over her mouth. A low gurgle built in her throat and then she was running, blanket flying behind her, for the downstairs toilet. Tommy took off behind her, holding her hair back as the burrito fought back.

"Are you okay, honey? Let me get a rag for your face." He tied her hair up in a bun, grabbed her toiletries and wet a cool rag for her face. Her cheeks were red and blotchy while she brushed her teeth.

"Sorry, babe, I wasn't expecting that. It came on quick...I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Don't even worry about, for better or worse remember?" Tommy laid the rag across her brow, leading her back to the couch.

"I'll wrap this up and do the dishes, you rest." He kissed her cheek and retreated to the kitchen. Now the guilt pressed on him like a weight on his chest. What he did today put everything he ever wanted in jeopardy, and all he wanted to do was tell her. Beg and grovel and apologize and make her stay. It was an accident from a long time ago, he could say. Make her understand why he kept quiet for so long.

With Dana asleep on the couch, Tommy typed a quick text and sent it. Almost instantly he regretted it but it was out there and he was tired of being a coward. He had to do something, after the camping trip. Dana is too excited to cancel and he didn't want to ruin it. Maybe it was selfish, because he didn't want the trip ruined for him either, but he was trying to put Dana first. At least, that's what Tommy kept telling himself.

The text he got back said otherwise.