Her Sentinel

Chapter 5: Life

Gerry...

As the days drag on, my wife becomes more untrusting and even angrier. To be honest, I did not think my life could get worse, but it has. That reunion with Kay sent her into a tirade, and for months she has not let it go. Kim acts like she caught us screwing in Scott's car, but we were just talking. Obviously, the jig is up and she knows now that I will never truly love her.

For years I have tried, but I can't. How can I love someone that is just so dark and ugly inside?

Walking in the door from a long, hard day's work, I hear Kim screaming at the girls. My daughters are sobbing up in their room and she is on the couch, as always. They are 6 years old, so I can't imagine what the twins could have done to make her so mad.

"Gerald is that you!" she shrieks.

Christ.

I answer, "Yup, I'm home. What is going on?"

"Your daughters got in trouble at school. The teacher said neither one of them did the homework assignment last night, and she asked me if there was a problem at home." Kim hollers from the other room.

Walking into the living room, exhausted and dirty, I ask, "What was the assignment?"

"Did you just walk in here with greasy shoes?" My wife shouts.

Looking at her, and then pointing at my feet, I reply, "No, Kim, I didn't. Now, what do they have to do? Can they make it up? It's first grade for fuck's sake."

"Do not talk to me that way!" She barks.

Nodding, I then say, "You know what, deal with it yourself. This is your job and mine is fixing cars."

Kim screams for all the neighbors to hear, "You bastard! You know I can't work, not with my bunions and fibromyalgia. Then there are my allergies and..."

"All I wanted to know is what the assignment was, and you would not answer me. I'm tired and it was a really long day." I say, trying to tame the shrew.

She sits back down on the couch and turns the TV up as loud as it will go. Turning around, I walk up the stairs to see my munchkins. They are the only light left in my life and I need a hug from my girls.

Opening the door, I peek in and they are each in their beds, hiding under the covers.

Walking in the door, I turn on the light and say, "Huh, where are my princesses? I could have sworn they were up here."

It looks like they need some cheering up.

Sneaking over to the first bed, I ask, "Who made these beds? They are full of lumps. Squirmy giggly lumps. Oh no, both of these beds are full of lumps."

"It's us daddy, not lumps," Katie says with a big smile on her face.

Looking over at Leah, she is still hiding.

"Where is my little monkey? Katie, have you seen Leah?" I ask, and she points to her sister's bed.

Pulling back the covers, and then the sheet, Leah looks up at me with sadness.

"Are you going to beat us, daddy?" She asks in her tiny voice.

Glancing back and forth at them, I ask, "Who said that I was going to beat you?"

"Mommy said you were going to use your belt on our butts," Leah says and she is shaking.

Looking at the door, I feel the anger build up inside, but I push it back down.