Dads Words
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Genevieve wanted to be in love but never planned on being a young mother. Independent, she always wanted to take time to be herself – explore her career, enjoy her fiancé, and toast every single success she had with friends and family as they all embarked on new adventures in their lives.
It was easy to see that the world would just keep coming at them like an unstoppable freight train until it dropped out of control. She had worked hard for what she had accomplished so far and didn’t want to change anything about it.
Her life seemed perfect… well, except for one small thing. Something she kept inside of her. The last year of waiting around to start her own family had been hard enough. Now the age difference between her and Brian made Genevieve wonder if he even cared anymore or what he might have left behind as an engineer, who focused much more energy on work than a family.
One day, while visiting the park near her home, Genevieve came across a group of young mothers and their children enjoying themselves in the grass, under the warm summer sun. They were having a picnic together after visiting the playground, laughing, and eating snacks from plastic containers.
Out of nowhere, the thought of becoming one of these women crossed her mind. How happy they seemed despite the fact that their kids didn’t listen very well.
She wondered how it would feel to be part of this group of people for once instead of feeling so isolated by the time spent away from her career. Would it change the way she viewed things? Perhaps she could join them, talk to them, and eventually become involved in activities with other moms like hers.
Maybe they’d even become friends. For years, Genevieve had felt lost and alone. Life took over, leaving little room for socializing unless there was something really special going on that brought them all together.
As she approached the picnic area, Genevieve noticed a young woman with short blond hair and wearing a green sundress standing a few feet away speaking to several people. As usual, Genevieve watched the woman interact and try to understand how she could get the same level of connection without actually participating.
If only it was that easy; however, Genevieve knew better than most that not everyone could be happy for you no matter what you did. In spite of everything, she decided to walk up to the group and introduce herself.
“Hello,” said Genevieve, when she finally got close enough to make eye contact. “I saw your kids playing earlier.” The young mother looked surprised by Genevieve’s approach and her eyes went wide when she realized who it was. “So nice to meet you. Are we neighbors?” asked Genevieve, wondering why this woman never introduced herself.
The young mother smiled before replying, “Yes, I live down the street from here.” The woman continued, “What a coincidence! So do I. I’m Andrea.”
Brian pulled the car to the curb in front of his mother’s house. He stared blankly at the front door. His parents had already returned home for the weekend, and Brian hadn’t visited since Friday night. Brian closed his eyes tightly, wishing he could stop feeling this way.
Instead, the emotions seemed to pour through him stronger than ever before. Being back at home made him realize how lonely he had become. Despite everything, it was too soon to move out, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to live on his own anyway. After all, he had grown accustomed to sharing a bathroom with someone else – which gave him another excuse for avoiding the place altogether.
A quick glance to his right showed the long line of cars sitting in the driveway, filling both sides of the street. There was a chance that not everyone had arrived yet. Not that it mattered. No one probably noticed. Every time he drove past the house, he felt that everyone else got on with their lives while he remained stuck in this limbo state. It sucked the life force out of him. It always had.
As Brian turned off the ignition, his cell phone rang. The sound startled him, and he immediately forgot what he had planned on doing next. He reached for the device, listening to the caller ID display: call from dad. Brian felt a sharp pang in his chest as he answered. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hey son. Did I wake you up?”
“No, I was awake. Just thinking about stuff and couldn’t sleep,” Brian replied.
“That’s okay. You don’t have to explain yourself. But now that you’re up, why don’t you come over for breakfast? It will be ready in half an hour. We can catch up then.”
“Okay, sounds good. See you soon.” Brian hung up, suddenly energized. He wondered how many times he had missed moments like these with his father simply because of how tired he was. With a huge grin on his face, he walked inside the house and headed straight upstairs.
He threw his jacket on top of his clothes and crawled into bed. The smile disappeared when he drifted off to sleep, but it was a good start.
***
Genevieve sat alone at the kitchen table, watching her husband as he put together a delicious plate of pancakes. They weren’t exactly gourmet, but they were still quite tasty. She loved the way the smell of butter filled the air around them, making her stomach rumble.
At the moment, she had no idea why she felt so anxious. A sudden feeling of guilt washed over her. Despite all of the attention Brian gave her last week, she was still unhappy and unfulfilled.
Her feelings wouldn’t go away until she confronted the issue head-on. For a couple of weeks, her life had been taken over by work; however, things needed to change. While Brian made the rounds to each of the guests, Genevieve went outside to her car and called a number she had saved. When the person picked up the other end, Genevieve simply said, “I need to talk.”
Her words forced a gasp from the receiver. “Are you alright?”
“I’ll let you know after I hang up,” she replied, trying not to cry. She didn’t want to lose control of the situation; it would ruin the whole thing. “It’s important. Please help me.”
Genevieve disconnected the call and left the porch. She found her husband in the backyard, surrounded by kids – almost everyone in the group. Once again, she watched him interact with the children, helping them climb on trees and ride bikes. Today he wore a pair of swim trunks, showing off his muscular legs as he ran around the yard, chasing the youngsters. His shirtless appearance reminded her of his beach pictures.
She tried not to think about those anymore, knowing that there was a part of him that still desired her. Now, it was time to make it clear to him that nothing was going to change. There was something he had to understand.
“Have some food!” Brian yelled.
Genevieve rushed towards him and grabbed two plates. She handed one to her husband who took a seat beside her, reaching for the maple syrup. “Do you remember the summer we met?” she asked.
“Of course. This is a good memory too.”
“The best one,” she clarified. “When I saw you at the pool, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, I thought ‘this man must work out.’ And even though you looked like an athlete, I knew that underneath your skin, you were real. So different from the other guys I dated.” She paused briefly and added, “Not that I hated them or anything. It just wasn’t enough for me.”
She fixed her gaze on the man standing beside her, smiling at his reaction. After several seconds, he started to laugh. It was happy laughter that showed nothing but love and appreciation. “You looked amazing that day. The blue bikini, and those long, sexy legs. It was only a matter of time before my friends caught on to what I saw all along,” he stated.
“Oh really? What did they see? Am I that easy to understand?”
Brian placed his hand under her chin and lifted it up. “I never lied to you, Gen. You are beautiful and kind, and it shows every single day. However, beneath the physical aspects, there’s more to it. I can tell that deep down, you know what I’m talking about. You can’t hide how much you love me either.”
He pulled her closer, kissing her lips softly. As the kiss continued, Genevieve wrapped both arms around her husband. In another moment, they were both lost in the sweet sensation of being connected, their bodies intertwined.
“My turn,” Genevieve announced after they parted. She brought her husband’s hands up to her waist, enjoying the warmth of his palms rubbing against her hip bones. “I also wanted to say that I appreciate everything you do for us. Your business has allowed us to live this lifestyle.
Without it, we’d still be living in our old condo in Queens. With twins on the way, I feel safer knowing there’s income coming in.” She leaned forward to take his lips again, wrapping her arms tighter around him. “And the girls are growing fast as well. We could have easily moved back home after their delivery – but we decided to stay here.”
After a brief pause, she said, “Even if we don’t always agree on certain issues, I will continue loving you and giving you my full support. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful for every single thing you’ve given me.”
His face remained emotionless while she spoke, yet somehow, her words managed to get to him. He closed his eyes as he felt her lips pressing against his skin. By now, the sun was directly above them, beating down on his head.
“Is this because of last night?” Genevieve asked suddenly. “You’ve been distant since then. I thought you understood what I needed to tell you.”
At first, Brian didn’t reply. Then he turned around, looking behind him. “You’re right. Last night was different and I apologize for that. I’m sorry. But I need you to listen to me without interrupting. Can you promise me to do this?”
The woman nodded slowly, taking another plate of pancakes to serve others. She kept watching her husband, waiting patiently for his answer. When he finally responded, she heard the disappointment in his voice.
“I wish I could say yes, but there’s no guarantee that things will change. Besides, it wouldn’t make sense to leave until I finish school. It’s far more important than any commitment we made together.”
“What makes you so sure? Don’t you trust me?”
“Gen, you know I care. But with all that went on between us, this issue isn’t going to solve itself. That’s why I need to fix things. Even if it takes years, I’ll find a solution.”
“Don’t you want to try and save our marriage?”
“Yes, I do. It hurts me a lot when I think about ending our relationship, especially since the children came into this world.”
Genevieve bit her lip. She had expected a less depressing response. “But you don’t seem enthusiastic. And this scares me.” She placed the pancakes down on the table and sat next to her husband. Taking a moment to study his features, she noticed the sadness hidden behind his expression.
“Why does it scare you?” he asked quietly.
“It doesn’t really mean anything, but… I might not be able to handle this situation by myself. If something happens, I don’t want anyone blaming me,” she confessed.
Brian placed his hand on hers. “I’m here for you, Genevieve. We’ve been through this before and we came out stronger on the other side. Nothing is going to keep me away from you or the kids. No one will ever come between us again.”
Her husband stroked her hair, caressing the strands gently. “Please believe me. This was an accident. I promise you won’t regret our decision.”
“Can you give me some time to process this?”
“Of course. But if your feelings towards me don’t change, I’ll make sure you’ll see this through.”
“Promise?” she said, narrowing her eyes.
He smiled at her. “Yeah. Now please let me finish breakfast first.”
They enjoyed their meal, smiling at each other like they used to do. The mood gradually changed as the sun began to set. Everyone returned to their rooms upstairs, leaving the kitchen empty except for the two adults. Genevieve’s mind was churning over the conversation they had just shared.
It bothered her that Brian seemed indifferent about their problem. She was worried that she hadn’t convinced him of the importance of their bond, even though she knew it wasn’t realistic to expect instant changes.
On the other hand, she felt relieved that she would continue staying by his side. It warmed her to know that her husband wasn’t going to leave her. She couldn’t help feeling guilty for pushing him away only a short time ago.
Lunchtime rolled around several hours later. As usual, Stephanie and Sophie joined Genevieve in the kitchen. While helping the girls wash their plates, the woman remarked, “So how’s our little sister doing?”
Sophie glanced at her friend, seeing the concern hidden under her smile. “She seems fine.”
Stephanie added, “I talked to her earlier. She looks upset, but nothing more.”
“Didn’t she say something yesterday?” Genevieve asked, turning around to look at Stephanie.
“That’s true, but it was probably about someone else. Remember, she talks to me whenever she has problems. Why’d you ask?”
“Oh, I was curious.”
The End