Man to Man
A knock on his front door made Brock jump a bit as he stood to open it. He wasn't expecting anybody, just really wanting to be alone since Barbra Jean was out shopping. It was nearing six o'clock in the evening, and all the middle-aged man wanted to do was sit down and watch Monday Night Football.
But someone had to come and interrupt that.
"Hey, Mr. H."
Brock opened the door wider for his son-in-law, motioning him in.
"What's goin' on?"
Van sat down on the couch kind of awkwardly, as if he hadn't intended on coming here. He rested his elbows on his knees and waited for his father-in-law to sit before speaking.
"Cheyenne and I had a fight."
Brock muted the television and tossed the remote on the coffee table as Van continued.
"We've had our fights, but not like this one. I didn't know what to do."
"What happened?"
"Well, I've been working late and-"
"Oh, no." Brock drew out the first word and shook his head. "This calls for a beer. Follow me."
The two walked into the kitchen where Brock produced two long-neck bottles from the refrigerator. Van sat down at the counter holding the drink, but not bothering to open it.
"Anyway," Brock said, taking a swig from his. "You've been working late, huh? She thinks you're doin' a little more than working, right?"
Van nodded. "Yeah."
"Are you?"
The younger man looked up, startled that a question such as that would be asked of him for a second time that night.
"No!"
Brock shrugged, drinking again. "Just asking."
"I just don't see how Cheyenne would think I could do something like that to her. I've proved myself. She knows I love her. I don't just say it, I show it. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"
"You're supposed to, but we don't always do what we're supposed to."
"I don't get how she thinks I could be cheating on her. I've never loved anyone else, Mr. H."
Brock sighed, a thousand memories rushing through his brain as Van said those words. I've never loved anyone else. He understood that better than anyone.
"Maybe she's jut paranoid because of her mom and me."
"Maybe, but what can I do? She doesn't believe me."
"I really doubt she thinks you're cheating on her. There's probably some underlying issue she has with you and she just doesn't know how to bring it up."
"Bringing it up would be a whole lot easier than accusing me of things I didn't do." He finally opened his beer and squeezed the top in his hand. "The whole thing upsets me."
"What?"
"That a person who is supposed to stay true and love their spouse no matter what could commit the ultimate betrayal. I could never do that to Cheyenne. I physically couldn't."
Brock's eyes didn't move from the wall. He wasn't angry at Van for bringing that up, he knew he made mistakes. He was mad at himself for letting that happen to him and Reba.
"Can I ask you a personal question, Mr. H?"
Brock nodded, knowing what was coming. "Sure."
"Man to man..."
"Yeah?"
"Why'd you do it?"
Brock's eyes went to the counter. He shoved his beer away and leaned on his arms.
"I don't know."
"That's not a real answer."
"I don't have a real answer for you, Van, and nor do you deserve one. I don't know why I did it." He felt his temper rise, but caught it before it could turn very bad. Closing his eyes, he saw the woman he had always loved. He saw her smiling face and it tore his heart out.
"Come on. Just tell me the truth. Were you ever really there for her?"
Man to man
Tell me the truth, tell me
Were you ever there when she needed you?
"Of course I was! Anytime she ever needed anything, she got it. She always had a roof over her head, clothes on her back and food to eat. And so did our kids!"
"I know she did, but that's not what I asked. When she was crying, did you hold her or did you just use the excuse, I don't know what to do with a crying woman?"
"Why does it matter? We're over now."
"I've just always wondered." He took a breath before saying, "If you really loved her, why'd you hurt her so bad?"
Man to man
Look me in the eye, tell me
If you really loved her, why'd you make her cry?
Brock closed his eyes and sighed.
"Van, love is a very difficult thing to figure out. I still don't understand it. When I cheated on my wife, I was being a selfish and immature ass. It hurt her and my family and I will regret it for the rest of my life. And still, I don't know why I did it. I knew it would hurt her, but I did it anyway."
"I guess it's just a way of fate working, huh?"
"Don't think for a second that I didn't love Reba, Van."
"I know you did, Mr. H."
"No. I don't think you do. I adored her. If I could take back every hurtful thing I've ever said to her, I'd do it in a heartbeat. They say sticks and stones can break your bones but words will never hurt you. That's a load of bull, because every time I'd utter a horrible word to my wife, her eyes would flicker and I could see the hurt. It haunts me. It truly haunts me."
Man to man
Who cheated who?
You're the one to blame
Tell me it ain't true
Man to man
Brock leaned against the stove, his mind going back to a particularly bad fight he had had with Reba before their divorce.
"I asked you to do one thing! One thing and you can't seem to do it."
"Brock, I told you that Jake had a doctor's appointment and I'd take care of it tomorrow."
"Thank-you notes for the benefit needed to have gone out today, Reba. Why can't you wrap your head around a thing called 'deadline?'"
Reba shook her head as she folded laundry on their bed, just listening to Brock scream at her. He always seemed to think up the most awful things to say to her before coming back and apologizing later. When he felt bad about it
"Why do you treat me like this?" She asked softly, not bothering to look up at him.
"I'm trying to teach you how to be a decent wife."
"So, I'm just not good enough, huh?"
"You just...don't think sometimes!"
Reba didn't respond. She just kept folding her husband's laundry like he wasn't even there. Like he wasn't saying mean things to her. She felt so much like a single mother lately. Brock never helped out with the kids or with the housework. Sure, he went to his office everyday and made a living, but what did that do for Reba when he didn't hold her at night? She felt so lost, like she could never find her way out of such a mess. If she didn't love him with all her heart, she would have already left.
"You don't think a lot of the time, either," She finally said.
"My mind is going a hundred miles an hour at all times of the day!" He yelled. "I'm always thinking!"
"You know what I mean. You're just being difficult."
"I am so sick of how everything in my life is going haywire, Reba. Don't you get that?"
"Don't you think I feel the same way?" She stopped folding and looked up. "Don't you think that I'm tired of having to raise three kids on my own and feel utterly lonely all the time?"
"You're not raising our kids by yourself. That's a load of bullshit and you know it. I provide for this family and do I ever get any thanks? No. All you guys ever ask for is more, more, more."
Reba put her head down, shaking it slightly. "When did you become so cold?"
"When my wife did."
He turned and left the bedroom and slammed the door. Rushing downstairs, he stopped at the bottom, leaning on the banister. Had he really meant those things? He had made it seem like his family was a burden when in truth, they were the best thing to happen to him. He shut his eyes tight before taking a deep breath, heading back upstairs to explain himself.
When he got to their bedroom, however, the door was open and he could hear Reba talking. Jake's voice was heard next and Brock stayed in the hallway to listen.
"Does Daddy love us anymore?" Jake asked in his little boy voice.
"Of course he does, honey," Reba assured him. "He just gets mad sometimes. Just like you do."
"Do you love Daddy?"
"I do love him."
Brock could almost imagine his wife pulling their little boy into a comforting hug. That was when he realized the damage he had done was extensive. If his four-year-old had been hurt, his ten-year-old and his fifteen-year-old surely had been. And even more so than them, his wife.
"That really happened?" Van asked when Brock had gotten his memory out.
Sadly, he nodded. That's when everything really started going downhill."
Van shook his head. "How did it get so bad?"
"I was young. I was stupid. I thought that I could do anything I wanted and get away with it. Why do you think Reba's such a strong person now? It was because of the way I treated her. You had to grow thick skin around me."
"You're not like that now, though. Your kids love you."
"Sometimes you learn lessons too late."
Van thought a moment before he asked his question.
"Do you still love her?"
"More than anything."
Well, you think all your anger is justified
Me, I think, it's just your wounded pride
What did you really think she was going to do?
She's a real woman, not a doormat for you
You want her back, but it's too late
Why don't we just cut to the chase?
"Love your wife, Van," Brock told his son-in-law that, over the years, had become more like a biological son. "Please don't ever take her for granted."
"I won't. I promise."
Brock nodded. "She loves you. She's just going through a rough patch. Reba went through the same thing when we were first married. Just give her some time, like I said. She'll eventually tell you what's bothering her."
"Alright. Thanks, Mr. H."
"No problem."
Van stood and walked towards the door to head out. But before he turned the knob, he faced Brock. "One more question?"
"Yeah?"
"If you weren't married to Barbra Jean, do you think there would be a chance you and Mrs. H. got back together?"
"No." Brock took the last drink of his beer. "I hurt her too bad."
Man to man
Who cheated who?
You're the one to blame
Tell me it ain't true
Man to man
Just a little something I've had in my head for a while. Hope you liked it! ((: