Toxic (H.S.)

26*

Harry

I had felt at ease since getting married, as July rolled around, no one in either of our families had found out that we did. In fact, they began asking when we would. It was a bit surprising because Liam is a bit of a gossip at the office yet Mr. Edmunds had yet to find out.

Today was the fourth of July and both Marlene and I stood in our kitchen making food to take to her mother's house for the firework show.

Marlene hadn't talked to her mother about what's wrong with her, and like all the bad in her life, she repressed it. Frankly, I was concerned about Marlene's mental health.

I looked up from the cutting board full of fruit and noticed Oliver standing on his own. I held my breath because he had been doing that for a couple of days, but had yet to take his first steps. "Marlene." She looked up and gasped.

"Do you think he'll do it?" Oliver looked in our direction and I quickly grabbed a piece of watermelon and walked around the counter holding it up.

"Ollie, look I have a watermelon, walk over here with me." He smiled big and looked down at his feet almost confused as to what he should do. "Marlene help."

She came over and kneeled down beside me. "Who wants a kiss?" Ollie smiled and took a step forward. "Ollie wants a big kiss and a cuddle?" He took another step and then a big leap before he fell onto the carpet. She walked over and picked him up. "Oh, you did so good baby."

"Ma ma ma oooh!" He cried making Marlene pout.

"You did so well, look at daddy he's going to give you watermelon!" She cheered looking at me. "Clap daddy." I clapped my hands and he copied me.

"Dad-deee!" He reached for me. To think he was almost a year old.

"Good job Ollie, where's your nose?" He touched his nose. "And our eyes?" He covered his eyes. "And where's Mumma?" He looked at Marlene and giggled reaching back to her.

*

We reached Marlene's parent's house and were amazed by how many people showed up. "Oh my god." She whispered. "The church people are here."

"How do you know?" She pointed out a van and said it belonged to one of the ladies of the church. "You don't want to go in do you?" She shook her head. "Are you embarrassed-"

"No of course not, I just don't understand why she does this. Clearly, something is wrong and she talked all this shit about them and now she invited them back into her life. Whatever it is she hasn't told me and it's irritating." She sighed. "Fuck it, let's just go inside. We keep to ourselves and just stay for the fireworks." I agreed, getting Ollie off the car as she took the fruit platter with her.

The back yard had tables and balloons set up along with a grill where Marlene's dad was watching some type of game with a few other men.

I could tell a few women were looking at us with odd faces, but like Marlene I just ignored it. Everyone saw me as the man who had a child out of wedlock and Marlene as some side chick. How I wanted to tell them she was my wife.

She set the platter down and I was greeted by her brother who looked relieved that we had arrived. "Thank God, people I like." I chuckled as he took Oliver from my arms and bounced him making him laugh.

We sat down and I looked around for Marlene and noticed she was being crowded by a group of women. She nodded politely and then pointed us out.

We ate and when Marlene came back to sit with us she didn't say much. It wasn't until the fireworks started later that night when we realized how much Ollie hated the noises. I took him inside and was greeted with Marlene's mom placing empty containers in a trash bag. "Oh hello." I smiled at her.