This takes place when Dave is in the hospital for his heart attack and will be posted separately from The Power of Love.
The Power of Divorce.
Mark Strauss took another sip of scalding coffee. His elbows propped on a second-hand dining room table with the phone clutched in his hand.
Thoughts of his ex wife (emphasis on ex) invaded his head.
His kids ( emphasis on his) milled around the house. Paige was on the back porch texting someone named Terri. (Please God let it be Terri with an I.) Paul was in his room and McKenzie was kicking a soccer ball around the backyard.
By most accounts, his little family was safe and mostly happy with the way things were. That was the important part. Wasn't it?
Mark asked himself that question every day. Erin was dating Dave and the kids loved him already. As a father, Mark hated the way his daughter's face lit up when she spoke of him. Pure adoration would brighten Paige's eyes and Mark couldn't slay the little green monster that would roar in his gut every time Paul asked if Dave could come with them to whatever function was happening at school.
Mackenzie...Mark still had her, right?
As jealous as he was, Mark wasn't ashamed to admit it to himself, he was jealous of the successful man who had taken over his family. Dave was a philanderer, a thrice divorced heartbreaker who still always got what he wanted.
Erin was sober, completely dry. It was a miraculous recovery, but why couldn't she put the fucking bottle down for him? Why wasn't their family important enough to make her get her shit together?
How much puke was Dave having to clean up? How many cold sweats? How many outpatient rehab routines was Dave going to have to put up with? Mark would never ask, because he already knew.
None.
Because she was healthy. The way he always wanted her to be, he glanced down at the ring on his left hand, the silver band replaced Erin's gold one. He loved Jamie, at least now he did; but when the affair began, he didn't know that was. Back then he was burnt out, he was tired of finding dozens of wine bottles in the trash, sometimes it was vodka or whiskey. He was tired of sloppy sex, but bad sex was better than no sex.
And it was Dave who got to benefit from his struggles. He got the hot sex, a clean house and two more crumb-snatchers.
Why did Mark get all the crap? Maybe he should have stuck it out.
Or maybe not.
He looked at his phone, the text message from Erin glared at him.
Thanks for keeping the kids, I'm afraid and I don't want them to worry.
What was he suppose to say? 'gee I hope he doesn't die?'
He shook his head and typed, just stay where you are and don't worry about the kids. I got this.