Fight About a Fight
“Can you believe he said that to her?!” I ask, still fuming. Megan went home about an hour ago, and Oliver came home not long after that. “A coward...what the hell would he know?”
“He never used that word when he spoke to me,” Oliver remarks. “He just said that she refused to meet with his family.”
“His family treated her like dirt,” I point out.
“Just his mother. Besides, family will be around for holidays and other things. She would end up seeing them again,” he answers.
“So that gives them the right to walk all over her?” I ask.
“She could give them a second chance.”
“And what are they giving her in return?” I challenge, “I can’t believe you’re siding with him, you saw how upset she was, how he talked to her, just shows he’s no better than the rest of them.”
“Orion’s my friend,” he reminds me. “I have nothing against Megan, you know that, but maybe she could have just agreed to have another dinner with them.”
“Oh, so you wouldn’t mind if I invited Flint for dinner?” I ask. “I know you hate him but if it’s that simple...”
“Flint’s not family,” he frowns.
“No but he’s my friend, I don’t expect you to socialise with him, but if you think it’s so easy...” I shrug.
“Katie, don’t you think it would be hard if we didn’t like each other’s family?” he questions.
“Yeh, of course it would but how would you feel if my parents hated you? Or Skye hated me? Or Skye’s boyfriend did what Orion did?”
“She better not have a boyfriend yet,” he mutters.
“Argh! Not the point Oliver!” I snap.
“You would have at least tried.”
“No, I would have smacked the self-righteous bitch the same way I stood up to Flint and Malfoy and everyone else who thought I wasn’t good enough, but Megan isn’t me!”
“So you think it is better for them to break up than for her to try to get along with them?” he asks.
“No I think he needs to get his head out of his ass and stop calling her a coward when he’s the one who won’t stand up to his jerk family,” I answer. “This isn’t the middle ages, witches don’t just have to sit quietly in a corner while the men talk about how to deal with them, she shouldn’t have to tolerate that.”
“That’s not how Orion is. You know him,” Oliver answers.
“And you know Megan, but you expect her to be like me? Do you know how long it took for me to stop caring what jerks like that thought? Before I learned I didn’t have to fight to prove myself? And that was after the crushing self-doubt...Megan hasn’t even got to the fiesty stage yet.”
“She might never,” he remarks. “I’m just saying, you can’t blame all of this on Orion.”
“So it’s Megan’s fault? What? Because she’s divorced? Or because she wants to have a life outside the family home?”
He sighs. “I never said that. But you made it sound like it’s all Orion’s fault.”
“No it’s partly his mother’s fault,” I agree.
“Megan could have tried again.”
“Orion could have been a little more sensitive instead of forcing the issue when she’s clearly upset,” I retort.
“Because he wanted her to meet with his family again? He just said he wanted them to have a family dinner again.”
“And calling her a coward? And a waste of time?”
“He was probably just angry.”
“That’s no excuse...everyone gets angry, not everyone deals with it by bullying their partner,” I sigh.
“Every couple fights,” he reminds me. “Maybe it wasn’t as bad as it sounded.”
“They broke up and Megan came here in tears,” I reply angrily.
Oliver sighs. “I know that. I was here for that,” he points out.
“Yeh and then you left to go...drinking with the guy that caused it!”
“You were having tea with Megan and listening to her. He’s my friend and if he wanted to have a drink or two and talk to a friend, then how is that wrong?” he counters.
“We weren’t getting pissed at a bar,” I snap.
“I didn’t either!” he insists. “There was only one time I had a lot to drink.”
“Whatever, I’m going to bed,” I wave him away, tired of the argument already.
“Fine,” he answers, starting toward the bedroom.
“I’ll stay in the spare room tonight,” I tell him, collecting my pjs.
“Spare...” he starts and sighs, slamming the dresser drawer he was getting his clothes from. “You can have this one.” With that, he turns and leaves the room.
I sink onto the bed with a sigh, that was stupid...Megan’s my friend of course...and given half the chance I’d hit Orion with a well aimed shrinking curse but...Oliver’s my husband...I wasn’t angry with him...damnit. I put my pjs on and climb into bed, shivering a little. Out of reflex I move closer to Oliver’s side...but that’s just as cold now.
“He never used that word when he spoke to me,” Oliver remarks. “He just said that she refused to meet with his family.”
“His family treated her like dirt,” I point out.
“Just his mother. Besides, family will be around for holidays and other things. She would end up seeing them again,” he answers.
“So that gives them the right to walk all over her?” I ask.
“She could give them a second chance.”
“And what are they giving her in return?” I challenge, “I can’t believe you’re siding with him, you saw how upset she was, how he talked to her, just shows he’s no better than the rest of them.”
“Orion’s my friend,” he reminds me. “I have nothing against Megan, you know that, but maybe she could have just agreed to have another dinner with them.”
“Oh, so you wouldn’t mind if I invited Flint for dinner?” I ask. “I know you hate him but if it’s that simple...”
“Flint’s not family,” he frowns.
“No but he’s my friend, I don’t expect you to socialise with him, but if you think it’s so easy...” I shrug.
“Katie, don’t you think it would be hard if we didn’t like each other’s family?” he questions.
“Yeh, of course it would but how would you feel if my parents hated you? Or Skye hated me? Or Skye’s boyfriend did what Orion did?”
“She better not have a boyfriend yet,” he mutters.
“Argh! Not the point Oliver!” I snap.
“You would have at least tried.”
“No, I would have smacked the self-righteous bitch the same way I stood up to Flint and Malfoy and everyone else who thought I wasn’t good enough, but Megan isn’t me!”
“So you think it is better for them to break up than for her to try to get along with them?” he asks.
“No I think he needs to get his head out of his ass and stop calling her a coward when he’s the one who won’t stand up to his jerk family,” I answer. “This isn’t the middle ages, witches don’t just have to sit quietly in a corner while the men talk about how to deal with them, she shouldn’t have to tolerate that.”
“That’s not how Orion is. You know him,” Oliver answers.
“And you know Megan, but you expect her to be like me? Do you know how long it took for me to stop caring what jerks like that thought? Before I learned I didn’t have to fight to prove myself? And that was after the crushing self-doubt...Megan hasn’t even got to the fiesty stage yet.”
“She might never,” he remarks. “I’m just saying, you can’t blame all of this on Orion.”
“So it’s Megan’s fault? What? Because she’s divorced? Or because she wants to have a life outside the family home?”
He sighs. “I never said that. But you made it sound like it’s all Orion’s fault.”
“No it’s partly his mother’s fault,” I agree.
“Megan could have tried again.”
“Orion could have been a little more sensitive instead of forcing the issue when she’s clearly upset,” I retort.
“Because he wanted her to meet with his family again? He just said he wanted them to have a family dinner again.”
“And calling her a coward? And a waste of time?”
“He was probably just angry.”
“That’s no excuse...everyone gets angry, not everyone deals with it by bullying their partner,” I sigh.
“Every couple fights,” he reminds me. “Maybe it wasn’t as bad as it sounded.”
“They broke up and Megan came here in tears,” I reply angrily.
Oliver sighs. “I know that. I was here for that,” he points out.
“Yeh and then you left to go...drinking with the guy that caused it!”
“You were having tea with Megan and listening to her. He’s my friend and if he wanted to have a drink or two and talk to a friend, then how is that wrong?” he counters.
“We weren’t getting pissed at a bar,” I snap.
“I didn’t either!” he insists. “There was only one time I had a lot to drink.”
“Whatever, I’m going to bed,” I wave him away, tired of the argument already.
“Fine,” he answers, starting toward the bedroom.
“I’ll stay in the spare room tonight,” I tell him, collecting my pjs.
“Spare...” he starts and sighs, slamming the dresser drawer he was getting his clothes from. “You can have this one.” With that, he turns and leaves the room.
I sink onto the bed with a sigh, that was stupid...Megan’s my friend of course...and given half the chance I’d hit Orion with a well aimed shrinking curse but...Oliver’s my husband...I wasn’t angry with him...damnit. I put my pjs on and climb into bed, shivering a little. Out of reflex I move closer to Oliver’s side...but that’s just as cold now.