1997
It turns out my problems with Kristen are less complex than I thought originally. She still is dead set on getting me down the aisle but I find that I care less about her exposing mine and Stevie's past now than I did a few months ago. All I care about is taking care of Denny and being with the love of my life, Kristen is free to do what she pleases at this point, the tricky bit is getting her out of my house. On a soggy Friday afternoon, six days after we win custody of our grandson I decide tonight's the night.
The scrape of our dinner dishes is like nails on a chalkboard punctuated by looks of pure vile thrown at me from Kristen's direction. Poking at my nearly raw roast beef I think longingly of Stevie's cooking, she was always a good cook. Even when we had no money she made sure once a week that we had a roast chicken, or meatloaf on Sunday night. Hamburger helper was good enough to get us through working, but on a relaxing day we both liked a hearty meal. Kristen considers cooking a chore and usually leaves it to our cook Marlena. Tonight, however, she was bitten by a bug of domesticity so I'm stuck having to choke down what passes for a meal in her eyes.
"How's the roast?" still mooing, drowning in grease and tough as leather all at once. I shouldn't be surprised if she sprinkled it with arsenic before she popped it into the oven "It's umm...juicy" she smiles brightly sawing into her own food while I start gnawing on yet another morsel of subpar preparation "Good, I know you're hungry after working in your studio all day honey. And we have gelato for dessert...from the store" Oh thank God.
"Great, um-thanks" this is so awkward. I'm starting to think twice about breaking it off tonight, I'd feel like a total dick if she went through all this trouble and I asked her to leave. Maybe I should reschedule it "Lindsey, honey, I know Danny-or Denny...whatever. I know he means a lot to you, but when we're married you need to know that our kids come first" or maybe I should stop chewing this shoe leather and just get it over with "Denny, is my first priority Kristen. I'm his court appointed guardian along with Stevie, and we both made a promise to look after him and care for him the way we should have done for Connor" for all intents and purposes he's going to have the childhood that my son was robbed of by the state.
"I understand that, but when we have kids-" yeah when hell freezes over "Kristen, we don't have kids and I've made it pretty damn clear that I don't want to have children with you. Not after your-miscommunication about being pregnant" is it an asshole move to want to call her a liar? I don't think so "You don't plan on being married to me and not-you know. Making love" correction, is it an asshole move to vomit raw beef all over Egyptian linen at the notion of "making love" to a woman you hate? Nope, survey says I'm in the clear.
"It's highly unlikely" scraping the remainder of my meat to the side of the plate I try the mashed potatoes, I have to keep myself from gagging on an underdone chunk. She pouts putting on her fake sweet voice, the one I loath. The one she thinks I find sexy "You don't want me anymore baby?" No, no I don't. A bit of potato skin sticks to the roof of my mouth "Let's just say the thrill is gone where our physical relationship is concerned." Huffing she scrapes her own fork through her potatoes, then throws the utensil down on the table with a loud clang.
"It's Stephanie isn't it? She's got her chubby claws back into you, I didn't figure you had a fetish for fat chicks" my fork joins hers on the table as I scoot my plate of inedible food away from me "This has nothing to do with Stevie or her weight which I notice you take every opportunity you can to mention. What's the matter? Feel threatened?" rolling her eyes she sips her glass of wine dramatically "Hardly, but if I'm going to find you drooling after heavy weights maybe tell me now before I have to find any weird porn under your mattress" I haven't hid nudies under my mattress since I was sixteen, besides it's the 90's the internet is a thing.
