Author's note:
Ok well I guess I really liked this song and Rick and Karen seemed like they could be a good fit so...In-between my other stories I thought this would be something different to try...so let me know what you think...I tried to keep it somewhat simple and corresponding to the lyrics
Disclaimer: I don't own harvest moon or the song
A Husband's Forgiveness
Rick sat up in his large green double bed and slightly pushed a section of the floral comforter off his waist.
He reached his right arm down his back and grabbed it over top the of his head with his left. Stifling a huge yawn, he flexed his arms out and gave his body a good stretch.
Burgundy curtains placed on a nearby wall obscured the outside view. The chicken farmer grabbed a piece of it's cloth and glanced out. Darkness still overtook the sky. It cast it's shadow onto the world, showing off the grim nature of the morning. Would the sun soon rise to greet the morning and bid farewell to the moon? He saw it trying to break through the horizon.
Scratching his pillow head style frizzy blond hair, and ignoring the bags that he knew had formed under his eyes, Rick then reached for his glasses on the nightstand and looked over at his clock. It read 6:00 A.M. He knew he should get up and feed the chickens, making sure they were ok in the cool winter conditions, but, he was still a bit drained from the previous night's activities.
'What did happen last night?' He thought to himself, trying to recall his memories.
Waking up to find another day
The moon got lost again last night
But now the sun has finally had its say
I guess I feel alright
At first, nothing really came to him. He just blanked out, a headache pounded at any attempts of thinking clearly.
Rick gazed over to his left and found his eyes stareing down at the form of his sleeping wife, Karen. Her dark blonde hair was in diarray, all sprawled out on her face as steady breathing echoed from her rising and falling chest.
Certain images started to pop into his head. Karen seemed to have triggered something, oiled some rusted gears in his brain. He could remember long arguments, broken bottles, and slurred words that passed by between him and his wife. Details of last night finally came to him. They wove their way to his concious being.
But it hurts when I think
When I let it sink in
It's all over me
I'm lying here in the dark
I'm watching you sleep, it hurts a lot
& all I know is
You've got to give me everything
Nothing less cause
You know I give you all of me
All day yesterday he had slaved away at the farm needing to give extra effort to his chores. Deliver feed to the new farmer, collect and box the eggs, nurse a sick chicken with medicine, there was an endless list of chores. With Popuri married off and gone, and his mother's growing illness, the chicken farm was in desprete need of all the help it could get.
It would have been great if his wife could have helped out. But, Rick understood that Karen had to help out her parents at the supermarket and occasionally get away and maybe spend an afternoon at the beach too. He didn't mind. His wife meant the world to him and he wanted to ensure her happiness. If working hard meant that he could provide a better life for his family then, Rick was more than willing to try.
What did hurt though is that she would rather be at the bar drinking every night than spending time with him. Karen would come home plastered and tipsy, yelling at anyone who tried to exchange words with her.
Last night though, Rick had finally had it. He kept reenacting the scene in his head.
It all had started with Ann rushing over frantic from the bar saying that Karen was way over the edge drunk. So much so that she had ended up disturbing the other customers.
Rick had quickly followed Ann back to the Inn to find that his wife had finally had too much to drink. She was passed out on top of the counter. Doug had begun to move her when he noticed a horrified Rick in his doorway. Doug had given his head a light shake and passed Karen into Rick's arms bridal style.
"Please...just get her out of here," he had whispered.
An embarrassed Rick had carried his wife home. When they were inside the house, Karen had finally slipped back into consciousness. It turned out that her still drunk side was furious that Rick had brought her back.
Karen had soon gotten out of hand slurring words of hate at Rick and ripping bottles of medicine off the shelves before finally heading upstairs.
Rick had sat in the kitchen a long while that evening. With his head resting on his head, he did something that he had considered quite shameful. He had cried. He had cried long and hard.
It wasn't until early in the morning that he had finally retired to his room. He thought that once he had seen his mother with a sorrowful look glancing out at him from her bedroom.
I give you everything that I am
I'm handin' over everything that I've got
Cause I wanna have a really true love
Don't ever wanna have to go & give you up
Stay up till Four In The Morning & the tears are pouring
& I want to make it worth the fight
What have we been doing for all this time?
Baby if we're gonna do it, come on do it right
Rick locked his eyes onto Karen again and sighed.
"...Karen...?" he asked nudging her hesitantly.
"hhhhhmmm...?"was the muffled reply.
"We really need to talk about last night." Rick began rather tentatively
"I know you enjoy going out every once in a while to the bar...but this has really gotten out of hand. I can't keep putting my all into our marriage if my all means trying to understand you and your demonic behavior and putting up with your enraged attitude when you come home every night and..." Rick was cut off by an odd sight. Out of the side of Karen's eyelid, he saw a tear glistening.
All I wanted was to know I'm safe
Don't want to lose the love I've found
Remember when you said that you would change
Don't let me down
It's not fair how you are
I can't be complete, can you give me more?
& all I know is
You got to give me everything
You know I give you all of me
"Rick..." Karen muttered opening her eyes. Strained words emitted from her lips and the tears started trickling down her cheeks.
"About last night..." she spoke softly looking up at Rick.
..."I'm sorry...I want to do better...I-I never meant to hurt you."
Rick pulled the woman he loved up next to him and kissed her gently on the forehead..
"Shhhhh... I know Karen." he murmured rubbing her back. "I know."