[Couples Therapy] W4: 3 - Getting Over An Ex
“Now, you haven’t been involved with a woman since your wife...is that right, Detective?”
Artie shifted in his chair, trying not to look as uncomfortable as he felt. “Yeah...that’s about the long and the short of it.”
Dr. Lola Love glanced up from the case file in her lap, raising an eyebrow at her patient. “Any reason for that?”
“Like what?”
“You tell me, Detective.”
Artie sighed, rolling his eyes. “Look, sweetheart, I know headshrinking is how you make the big bucks, but you’re not gonna draw anything new out of me. I’m well past the grieving process, and I have issues with letting go. There, you happy?”
The small smile on her face made Artie want to smack someone...not her, by any means, but he’d seen that look on shrinks before. “It’s not my happiness we’re here to talk about, Artie.”
Narrowing his eyes, he scowled and eased back in his seat. “Yeah, yeah, yeah...you don’t gotta tell me twice.”
Nobody said anything for several long moments...Artie knew the ball was in his court, but he just wasn’t ready to do much of anything but dribble. Still...he was here, even if he’d only signed up for this stupid thing so Rian wasn’t going alone...
“I made a promise.” he finally began softly. “I swore until death do us part...and I ain’t dead yet. So I sleep in my bed that I made, and happily so...might be a little cold, but it’s not like I can do much to warm it, anyway...lack of a pulse and all.”
“But your wife passed on in 1968...is that right?”
“Your point?”
“Your marriage vows don’t hold any longer. You’re free to do as you please, wouldn’t you say?”
He snorted at that, rolling his eyes. “Lady, only thing I’m free to do is subsist without that little bitty promise.”
“I don’t understand...”
“I broke every other part of my marriage vows.” Artie replied, cutting her off as the sting of the words stole his voice for a moment. It couldn’t steal his breath...he had none left to give.
“I didn’t honor or cherish her enough.” he went on after a moment. “I didn’t love her like I swore I would...and I sure as hell didn’t stand by her in good times and bad, much less in sickness and in health.”
“None of that was your fault.”
Artie shook his head, rubbing his jaw and mouth as he struggled to keep his own emotions in check. God, after thirty-eight years it was so sore...such a raw and open wound in his heart and whatever remained of his soul. “Leaving her was my choice...I made the wrong decision, running like I did, and because of it she died alone.”
“Artie...do you want to find someone? There’s no replacing your wife...Gail, right?”
Artie nodded.
“You can’t get her back...you may never even find the kind of relationship you had with her. But you can still be happy with someone...sometimes all we can do is take what’s available to us.”
It was a good point...a valid point...but this woman had no idea. No clue what she was saying...
“Y’know, I used to call Gail my Angel...always was my pet name for her. She was my Angel, and I was her Work of Art.” he replied slowly. “I shared my bed with an angel, Doc...I ate with her, I bathed with her, and I watched her bear my children. I knew her touch...I knew her heart.”
He paused, reaching up to straighten his glasses as he regarded Dr. Love, his features etched with both joy and sorrow. He felt both to the core, layered over the pain...and in truth, they were the only two things that made it at all bearable.
“I touched Heaven when I married my wife, Doc...and when you’ve seen Heaven in the eyes of an angel? Everything else is Purgatory.”
Muse: Artie Jackson
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 688
Partner: Gail Jackson (canon character - deceased)
Artie shifted in his chair, trying not to look as uncomfortable as he felt. “Yeah...that’s about the long and the short of it.”
Dr. Lola Love glanced up from the case file in her lap, raising an eyebrow at her patient. “Any reason for that?”
“Like what?”
“You tell me, Detective.”
Artie sighed, rolling his eyes. “Look, sweetheart, I know headshrinking is how you make the big bucks, but you’re not gonna draw anything new out of me. I’m well past the grieving process, and I have issues with letting go. There, you happy?”
The small smile on her face made Artie want to smack someone...not her, by any means, but he’d seen that look on shrinks before. “It’s not my happiness we’re here to talk about, Artie.”
Narrowing his eyes, he scowled and eased back in his seat. “Yeah, yeah, yeah...you don’t gotta tell me twice.”
Nobody said anything for several long moments...Artie knew the ball was in his court, but he just wasn’t ready to do much of anything but dribble. Still...he was here, even if he’d only signed up for this stupid thing so Rian wasn’t going alone...
“I made a promise.” he finally began softly. “I swore until death do us part...and I ain’t dead yet. So I sleep in my bed that I made, and happily so...might be a little cold, but it’s not like I can do much to warm it, anyway...lack of a pulse and all.”
“But your wife passed on in 1968...is that right?”
“Your point?”
“Your marriage vows don’t hold any longer. You’re free to do as you please, wouldn’t you say?”
He snorted at that, rolling his eyes. “Lady, only thing I’m free to do is subsist without that little bitty promise.”
“I don’t understand...”
“I broke every other part of my marriage vows.” Artie replied, cutting her off as the sting of the words stole his voice for a moment. It couldn’t steal his breath...he had none left to give.
“I didn’t honor or cherish her enough.” he went on after a moment. “I didn’t love her like I swore I would...and I sure as hell didn’t stand by her in good times and bad, much less in sickness and in health.”
“None of that was your fault.”
Artie shook his head, rubbing his jaw and mouth as he struggled to keep his own emotions in check. God, after thirty-eight years it was so sore...such a raw and open wound in his heart and whatever remained of his soul. “Leaving her was my choice...I made the wrong decision, running like I did, and because of it she died alone.”
“Artie...do you want to find someone? There’s no replacing your wife...Gail, right?”
Artie nodded.
“You can’t get her back...you may never even find the kind of relationship you had with her. But you can still be happy with someone...sometimes all we can do is take what’s available to us.”
It was a good point...a valid point...but this woman had no idea. No clue what she was saying...
“Y’know, I used to call Gail my Angel...always was my pet name for her. She was my Angel, and I was her Work of Art.” he replied slowly. “I shared my bed with an angel, Doc...I ate with her, I bathed with her, and I watched her bear my children. I knew her touch...I knew her heart.”
He paused, reaching up to straighten his glasses as he regarded Dr. Love, his features etched with both joy and sorrow. He felt both to the core, layered over the pain...and in truth, they were the only two things that made it at all bearable.
“I touched Heaven when I married my wife, Doc...and when you’ve seen Heaven in the eyes of an angel? Everything else is Purgatory.”
Muse: Artie Jackson
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 688
Partner: Gail Jackson (canon character - deceased)