(no subject)
Title: I Can’t Lose You Again.
Chapter 3
This is the sequel to “Mexico”, ten days after its end.
Disclaimer: the talented Mrs Proulx owns the original story and characters.
Special thanks to my dear beta Carol and Paula, and to Onefreetoroam for the title idea.
Thanks to all of you readers and to those who added their opinion.
Due to family health problems, mixed with the worst work time of the year, I hope to add soon another chapter, that is already drafted but need further work and to be betaed, too.
John Twist Senior was smaller than Ennis had imagined. He was a man with salt and pepper hair and blue eyes but not so deep as his son’s. His entrance through the back door was silent and it went unnoticed by the group on the couch until Claire turned to take a framed picture of a young Jack from the small table on the right. Three pairs of eyes converged toward Jack’s father and three mouths silenced and two men stood up quickly.
“Hello, Dad.” Jack said tentatively.
During the long hours on the road he tried in vain to compose a short speech for that meeting. He always found difficult in the past to have a normal conversation with his father and the situation hadn't changed.
“Jack,” answered the older man dryly.
Ennis knew Jack was meeting his family after two years; he wasn’t expecting hugs and tears from Mr.Twist but did that man owned a heart or not?
“John, this is Ennis del Mar,” Claire added and Ennis offered his hand.
The eyes of Mr. Twist became darker and lingered over him. Ennis wasn’t a curious man but in that moment he would give everything to know that man's thoughts. Ennis didn’t want to be scrutinized by Mr. Twist's gaze and got nervous, shifting his weight from one foot to the other until John Twist took his proffered hand and shook it.
Twist’s hand was calloused and dry, while Ennis was sweating clammy.
It seemed the man completed his evaluation and decided Ennis was acceptable, sort of.
“Welcome Mr Delmar,” he said briefly in a low voice, before turning toward his wife.
Jack tried again to speak.
“Dad.”
“Later, Jack. Claire, I must check a horse before dinner.” John added, then went out again from the same door. It was Sunday evening but the week of a farmer never ended.
The tension Jack was feeling in his gut disappeared as soon as his father left the room; he remembered also to breathe, because all he was able to do while Ennis was meeting the owner of the house was to pray God to avoid a fight between his father and his man.
Claire took Ennis’s arm and gestured towards the large kitchen.
“Dinner will be ready soon. Ennis, would you like to come with me in the kitchen?.” Ennis followed Claire like she was the late Ann Delmar.
Jack remained alone in the sitting room, he looked around and saw nothing had changed since his last visit; it was good to have a place that was immutable, he remembered how Lureen always wanted to buy new furniture for their house every three or four years, giving him the feeling he had changed house every time. His mother’s sitting room was a constant in his life, where the only possible change was a new cushion for John’s favourite armchair. .
Lureen...last time he saw his wife, her parents were present to discuss the divorce.
The memory was so fresh it could have happened the day before, not two weeks ago. He decided to face the problem as soon as he returned home from Mexico, so he asked the father of Bobby’s best friend to keep the boy for the night, to remain alone with Lureen.
He was anxious, a part of him wanted to think carefully and find the right words to use with his wife, another part - the crazy one, always the winner - only wanted to get rid of his marriage soon and be free.
Lureen was home quite early for her standards, she seemed a little surprised that Bobby wasn’t around.
“Dinner and night at Chad’s house. I gave permission myself. Chad’s dad will take them to school tomorrow morning”
“You’re spoiling him.” She said sitting on the bed and throwing her high heel shoes in a corner of their bedroom. It was one of her habits that annoyed Jack a lot. He wasn’t a housekeeper, but after all those years he became more careful about his personal belongings. “Maybe because these things and this house were never really meant for me...LD wanted another husband for his baby, and only rented me this life, not gifted it. Some day he’d make me pay and that moment is now.” He said.
“Your father does the same, too. He bought him a new plastic rifle today, but I’ve told LD I don’t want to see Bobby playing with weapons.”
Lureen was massaging her right calf, but she was listening carefully.
“I’ll make a call later and speak with Dad. What’s for dinner?”
“Steak and carrots...but I need to talk with you for a while before.” Something in his tone made Lureen turn and she didn’t miss the occasion to speak first, as usual.
“What’s happening, Jack? You returned only two days ago, didn’t make the sale you were supposed to do. You’re a good salesman, it isn’t your style ….”
“I know Lureen, I lied about the sale because I needed time to think .... about a lot of things. To find important answers.” It wasn’t the real reason but he refused to talk about his Mexican trip with the woman who still was his wife.
“Answers that didn’t help our business. Jack, you know we are under the quarterly budget and Peter Jones is at home with a broken shoulder...I shouldn’t have let you go away last week.”
“Lureen listen to me, please. I’ve understood that I cannot be a Newsome’s salesman anymore. My life…our life is crumbling and I don’t want to live this way for ever. You’re not happy...”
“I’m absolutely happy..” she replied with decision.
“Happy at work, happy with Bobby, with your friends, but not with me, you know it.”
Lureen’s chin was now set in the I’-m-ready-to-argue way Jack knew so well, like the day they announced LD their marriage. Jack was a little afraid, remembering how she resisted her father that day and won his approval after two hours of discussion and her mother’s tears. But nowadays he knew Lureen more than anybody else.
“You’re my husband.”
“I’m a in name husband only now. We sleep so many night apart I lost count.”
“That doesn’t mean anything, we have a son, a family.”
“Only for Bobby. We’re more business partner than husband and wife now, but you refuse to see the reality of facts.”
“I see very well.”
“And I remember well when you said you married me only to escape from your parents.”
Lureen remained speechless for a bunch of seconds. It was true and she knew it, but she wasn’t defeated.
“What do you suppose to do then?”
“I’m asking for a divorce, I’ll leave Texas as soon as you agree.”
“It isn’t so easy to leave me!”
“Lureen please….don’t use your pride with me. Do you really believe you can keep me here against my will?“
Lureen was pacing nervously the bedroom like a lioness in a small cage.
“Everything you have here is mine!”
“I know and I’ll leave without anything, except what I earned with my own work. I’ll leave you my half of the house…Sweetie please.” Tears were making dark lines of wet mascara on Lureen’s face.
Jack embraced her from behind and they sat on the bed. Lureen was shaking, consumed by a sudden rage that soon freed cold hidden tears behind her eyelids, tears that were creating dark lines of wet mascara on her face
“Shh…you’re a strong woman and a great mother. The best for Bobby.”
Jack wasn’t surprised of his wife’s reaction, during the years they spent together he learned the savage girl he first met at the rodeo was still deep inside Lureen, now covered by the mask of the saleswoman she become.
“Where would you go?” She asked after a long silence.
“My parents for a while, I think.”
“Bobby?”
Jack took a long breath before answering.
“He’ll stay with you. This is his home.”
It was a painful choice for Jack, but he didn’t have enough strength to fight for him against LD for the moment.
Lureen seemed more at ease now, Jack noticed her body was relaxed, like she was aware that their relationship was at the edge of a high cliff and that neither of them was able to avoid the last step that would make them fall.
”I ask only to see him three times a year.”
“For me it’s ok, the problem will be LD.”
The name of the father-in-law was like a cold shower of reality.
Chapter 3
This is the sequel to “Mexico”, ten days after its end.
Disclaimer: the talented Mrs Proulx owns the original story and characters.
Special thanks to my dear beta Carol and Paula, and to Onefreetoroam for the title idea.
Thanks to all of you readers and to those who added their opinion.
Due to family health problems, mixed with the worst work time of the year, I hope to add soon another chapter, that is already drafted but need further work and to be betaed, too.
John Twist Senior was smaller than Ennis had imagined. He was a man with salt and pepper hair and blue eyes but not so deep as his son’s. His entrance through the back door was silent and it went unnoticed by the group on the couch until Claire turned to take a framed picture of a young Jack from the small table on the right. Three pairs of eyes converged toward Jack’s father and three mouths silenced and two men stood up quickly.
“Hello, Dad.” Jack said tentatively.
During the long hours on the road he tried in vain to compose a short speech for that meeting. He always found difficult in the past to have a normal conversation with his father and the situation hadn't changed.
“Jack,” answered the older man dryly.
Ennis knew Jack was meeting his family after two years; he wasn’t expecting hugs and tears from Mr.Twist but did that man owned a heart or not?
“John, this is Ennis del Mar,” Claire added and Ennis offered his hand.
The eyes of Mr. Twist became darker and lingered over him. Ennis wasn’t a curious man but in that moment he would give everything to know that man's thoughts. Ennis didn’t want to be scrutinized by Mr. Twist's gaze and got nervous, shifting his weight from one foot to the other until John Twist took his proffered hand and shook it.
Twist’s hand was calloused and dry, while Ennis was sweating clammy.
It seemed the man completed his evaluation and decided Ennis was acceptable, sort of.
“Welcome Mr Delmar,” he said briefly in a low voice, before turning toward his wife.
Jack tried again to speak.
“Dad.”
“Later, Jack. Claire, I must check a horse before dinner.” John added, then went out again from the same door. It was Sunday evening but the week of a farmer never ended.
The tension Jack was feeling in his gut disappeared as soon as his father left the room; he remembered also to breathe, because all he was able to do while Ennis was meeting the owner of the house was to pray God to avoid a fight between his father and his man.
Claire took Ennis’s arm and gestured towards the large kitchen.
“Dinner will be ready soon. Ennis, would you like to come with me in the kitchen?.” Ennis followed Claire like she was the late Ann Delmar.
Jack remained alone in the sitting room, he looked around and saw nothing had changed since his last visit; it was good to have a place that was immutable, he remembered how Lureen always wanted to buy new furniture for their house every three or four years, giving him the feeling he had changed house every time. His mother’s sitting room was a constant in his life, where the only possible change was a new cushion for John’s favourite armchair. .
Lureen...last time he saw his wife, her parents were present to discuss the divorce.
The memory was so fresh it could have happened the day before, not two weeks ago. He decided to face the problem as soon as he returned home from Mexico, so he asked the father of Bobby’s best friend to keep the boy for the night, to remain alone with Lureen.
He was anxious, a part of him wanted to think carefully and find the right words to use with his wife, another part - the crazy one, always the winner - only wanted to get rid of his marriage soon and be free.
Lureen was home quite early for her standards, she seemed a little surprised that Bobby wasn’t around.
“Dinner and night at Chad’s house. I gave permission myself. Chad’s dad will take them to school tomorrow morning”
“You’re spoiling him.” She said sitting on the bed and throwing her high heel shoes in a corner of their bedroom. It was one of her habits that annoyed Jack a lot. He wasn’t a housekeeper, but after all those years he became more careful about his personal belongings. “Maybe because these things and this house were never really meant for me...LD wanted another husband for his baby, and only rented me this life, not gifted it. Some day he’d make me pay and that moment is now.” He said.
“Your father does the same, too. He bought him a new plastic rifle today, but I’ve told LD I don’t want to see Bobby playing with weapons.”
Lureen was massaging her right calf, but she was listening carefully.
“I’ll make a call later and speak with Dad. What’s for dinner?”
“Steak and carrots...but I need to talk with you for a while before.” Something in his tone made Lureen turn and she didn’t miss the occasion to speak first, as usual.
“What’s happening, Jack? You returned only two days ago, didn’t make the sale you were supposed to do. You’re a good salesman, it isn’t your style ….”
“I know Lureen, I lied about the sale because I needed time to think .... about a lot of things. To find important answers.” It wasn’t the real reason but he refused to talk about his Mexican trip with the woman who still was his wife.
“Answers that didn’t help our business. Jack, you know we are under the quarterly budget and Peter Jones is at home with a broken shoulder...I shouldn’t have let you go away last week.”
“Lureen listen to me, please. I’ve understood that I cannot be a Newsome’s salesman anymore. My life…our life is crumbling and I don’t want to live this way for ever. You’re not happy...”
“I’m absolutely happy..” she replied with decision.
“Happy at work, happy with Bobby, with your friends, but not with me, you know it.”
Lureen’s chin was now set in the I’-m-ready-to-argue way Jack knew so well, like the day they announced LD their marriage. Jack was a little afraid, remembering how she resisted her father that day and won his approval after two hours of discussion and her mother’s tears. But nowadays he knew Lureen more than anybody else.
“You’re my husband.”
“I’m a in name husband only now. We sleep so many night apart I lost count.”
“That doesn’t mean anything, we have a son, a family.”
“Only for Bobby. We’re more business partner than husband and wife now, but you refuse to see the reality of facts.”
“I see very well.”
“And I remember well when you said you married me only to escape from your parents.”
Lureen remained speechless for a bunch of seconds. It was true and she knew it, but she wasn’t defeated.
“What do you suppose to do then?”
“I’m asking for a divorce, I’ll leave Texas as soon as you agree.”
“It isn’t so easy to leave me!”
“Lureen please….don’t use your pride with me. Do you really believe you can keep me here against my will?“
Lureen was pacing nervously the bedroom like a lioness in a small cage.
“Everything you have here is mine!”
“I know and I’ll leave without anything, except what I earned with my own work. I’ll leave you my half of the house…Sweetie please.” Tears were making dark lines of wet mascara on Lureen’s face.
Jack embraced her from behind and they sat on the bed. Lureen was shaking, consumed by a sudden rage that soon freed cold hidden tears behind her eyelids, tears that were creating dark lines of wet mascara on her face
“Shh…you’re a strong woman and a great mother. The best for Bobby.”
Jack wasn’t surprised of his wife’s reaction, during the years they spent together he learned the savage girl he first met at the rodeo was still deep inside Lureen, now covered by the mask of the saleswoman she become.
“Where would you go?” She asked after a long silence.
“My parents for a while, I think.”
“Bobby?”
Jack took a long breath before answering.
“He’ll stay with you. This is his home.”
It was a painful choice for Jack, but he didn’t have enough strength to fight for him against LD for the moment.
Lureen seemed more at ease now, Jack noticed her body was relaxed, like she was aware that their relationship was at the edge of a high cliff and that neither of them was able to avoid the last step that would make them fall.
”I ask only to see him three times a year.”
“For me it’s ok, the problem will be LD.”
The name of the father-in-law was like a cold shower of reality.