The New Husband(14)
About a half hour later, I heard loud talking from downstairs. I snuck down the steps the way I did on those Christmas Eves years ago, when I thought for sure I’d catch my parents putting presents under the tree. By this point, I could maneuver in my stupid boot like I wasn’t wearing it at all. I got close enough to hear my mother and Simon talking, let’s just call it animatedly, about her going back to work. I kept my back pressed up against the wall, listening to the conversation coming from the kitchen.
“I can’t sit around and let you cover all of our expenses,” Mom said. “It doesn’t feel right to me, even if you can afford it.”
“But I can afford it,” Simon whined. “We’re fine. I’m making way more money than I thought renting out my house.”
How does he have money? I wondered. Simon always bragged how he could provide for us, college and all, but I never thought it was possible on what a teacher made. Then again, he did own a two-thousand-dollar costume prop. Maybe he came from a wealthy family. What did I know? I hardly knew him.
“I don’t get why you’re so against me working,” Mom said. “It’s not the fifties, Simon. You do know women work.”
Simon made a noise to convey his awareness of that fact.
“I know what year it is,” he said. “Most of my colleagues are women. My point is I think it’s going to be bad for Maggie.”
For me? I thought. Leave me out of it. Before, I was against my mom working because it would have meant more time for me at the house alone with Simon. But now that I knew he was against Mom going back to work, well, I was suddenly all for it.
“I’m her mother; I think I know what’s best for Maggie.”
“I get that you’re her mother, but it doesn’t help me that you won’t give me a voice in the house,” Simon said. “I’m always going to be an outsider.”
Damn straight, I thought.
“Some decisions need to come from me,” my mom said. “Including my decision to go back to work. I want my own money, and honestly, I think it’s good for Maggie to see me being independent, getting back on my feet. I want her to understand that no matter what life throws at you, you can always bounce back. Rather than tell her to be resilient, I can show her.”
Connor came down the hall and I put my finger to my lips so that he would stay quiet. He wasn’t a dummy. He was just as interested in eavesdropping as I was.
“That’s a fair point,” Simon said. “I’m just saying I’ve been around her a lot is all. I’ve noticed things about Maggie’s behavior, and not just today.”
Connor made a face at me that I wanted to wipe off with my fist.
“What kind of things?” Mom said. I could tell by her tone that she was worried.
“I think she’s on edge. If you get involved in a new job, it’s going to take a lot of your focus. That’s how it goes.”
“Thank you for your concern,” Mom said. “But I think I know myself well enough to know how to balance a job and my family. My social worker credentials are up to date, I’ve got my résumé put together, and I’m starting to send it out tomorrow. I’m not asking for your permission here, Simon. I’m asking for your support.”
But Simon didn’t say anything, and for the first time in ages I felt great, really fantastic. I’ve never had a boyfriend, but I’ve watched plenty of TV, read lots of juicy YA books, so I knew cracks in a relationship when I saw them.
CHAPTER 8
On Saturday morning, Nina woke with a start. It was her father’s birthday on Wednesday, but she hadn’t gotten around to sending him a card with the kids’ school pictures in it, something she did every year. It was the job search, she realized, that had distracted her, and in some ways the oversight supported Simon’s assertion that she wouldn’t be able to focus on work and the rest of her life while everything was in upheaval.
From outside, Nina heard the faint hum of a lawn mower, and wondered how late she had slept. A warm late-summer breeze pushed against the fluttering curtains, allowing in sips of light that painted the bedroom in an amber glow.
Nina stretched her arms skyward, then puttered over to the closet, where she retrieved a terry-cloth robe. It caught her off guard, still, even after all this time, to see Simon’s clothes in there, leading her to wonder when he would become her new normal instead of her new man. Cinching the robe tightly around her waist, Nina went off in search of her family, as well as some coffee, hopeful that Simon had been his usual thoughtful self and made her a cup.
She could see from down the hall that Connor’s bedroom door was closed; no surprise there. That child could sleep until noon. Maggie’s was open, meaning she was lurking about somewhere, probably parked in front of the TV, along with Daisy and a towering bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios.
The aromatic smell of coffee drew Nina downstairs as though she were a cartoon character following a scent trail. She poured coffee from the pot into her favorite mug, wondering why Daisy hadn’t come to greet her. Usually it was Nina who fed the dog in the mornings, and the dog’s hearing was especially keen on an empty stomach. The TV wasn’t on and Maggie and Daisy weren’t in the living room when Nina checked, so with mug in hand, she stepped outside and found Simon on the front lawn, standing on a ladder perched against the oak tree she loved, tying yellow ribbons around several of the limbs. These were the same ribbons her well-meaning friends had once tied around another tree in honor of her missing husband. This time they no doubt carried a different meaning.