Through the Smoke

Chapter 2

The slap across the face stung, but not nearly as much as the glare directed at her. "How dare you accuse me of destroying this marriage. You turned your back on me long before it started. No matter what I did, what I said you ignored me so yes, eventually I gave up and turned elsewhere. I'll be damned if I feel guilty about it."

"How am I the bad guy after you cheated on me?"

She shook her head. "Never said you were the bad guy. I understand you're hurting--so am I. You should have let me be there for you and vice versa, but instead you repeatedly slammed an invisible door in my face." Tears running down her face, she pressed a hand to her chest. "During this last year I've learned my heart is very strong because despite the hell we've endured I'm still standing, still living, but I can only take so much rejection from my spouse. You're not bad, I'm not bad. What we are is broken and I for one don't have a clue how to fix us."

"Hey, sleeping beauty," soft lips graze my forehead while a hand gently squeezes my shoulder, "wake up."

The moment I open my eyes I spot Kelly knelt next to the couch looking at me as I lie stretched out there. Huh. I hadn't meant to fall asleep. Guess that movie wasn't interesting enough. "Did you just get home?"

She nods. "Heard you talking in your sleep."

I try remembering the dream but it fades into nothing. "What was I saying?"

Fingers tuck a few tendrils of hair behind my ear. "Couldn't make out any of the words, love. You feeling all right?" Her palm temporarily lands on my forehead. "You rarely take a nap."

"I'm fine, baby. Don't worry." Kissing her I swing my legs toward the right and sit up.

"In that case, help me with the groceries?" Kelly stands up. "I'm making beef enchiladas for the four of us. Would you blend the margaritas?"

Margaritas my favorite alcoholic beverage I would gladly blend them any day, but I can't focus on that right now. "What? Four of us? Four?"

Amusement flits across her face. "Yes four. You, plus me, plus Mia, plus Truth equals a party of four." The moment my face scrunches up Kelly shakes her head and wiggles a finger at me. "Ever since we went to Mia's for dinner I've wanted to invite her over here yet you keep coming up with excuses why it can't happen this night or that one. Therefore, I'm now taking control of the reigns by stating tonight we're having a little dinner party and there's nothing short of injuring yourself badly enough to require medical treatment to prevent it from happening. So get your butt off that couch and follow me into the garage so we can get the groceries from the trunk."

Secretly I like it when she's bossy, but I'm not going to tell her that. "Kelly, I--"

"You need to be more social, so if it's needed--which it obviously is--sometimes like now I have to force you. Jojo," she leans over me, hands on my shoulders, "it's not a big deal. We'll chat, we'll eat, we'll drink, we'll listen to music and it'll just be our sweet new neighbor and Truth. You know Truth. I hope she and Mia hit it off. They'd look cute together."

I roll my eyes. "She's as obnoxious as her name. Who names their kid Truth?"

Kelly tweaks my nose. "Come on, grumpy. Let's get moving. They should arrive by seven o'clock."

Indeed feeling like the crankiest dwarf I mutter my disapproval while following my wife who chooses to ignore every word by humming to herself.

*****

It's going well. I guess. I'd prefer to be alone with Kelly cuddling on the couch watching television or cuddling in bed...naked, but this is all right I suppose. Truth and Mia have actually seemed to hit it off. Having a lot in common they've been chatting up a storm. For some reason that annoys me and several times I've had to remind myself not to scowl. Why should it bother me if Truth likes Mia and Mia likes Truth? That's great. Maybe then our new neighbor would stop with the mild flirtation.