Adam looked on as Gabe walked around the bend. His little boy was growing up and becoming a man before his eyes. He thought he would have had more time before dealing with grown-up emotions and all that came with them.
It seemed his son had other plans.
He replayed the conversation he had just has with his son. A kid had more insight than he had had as a husband for the past years.
Why hadn't he spoken up more often about what was bothering him? Why hadn't he told his wife all the things going through his mind when he should have? It was true – many problems would have been solved even before they became such had he only unclenched his lips and said the words that would have allowed him and his wife understand each other.
But, no. That hadn't been what he had chosen to do. Instead he had kept silent about what mattered and had ruined his marriage. How he had ruined his marriage.
He walked into the elevator and greeted Ralph. He was glad the man kept silent. He was not in the mood to have another discussion on the benefits of being single. At the moment he wasn't feeling very content with the idea.
When the elevator reached his floor he got out, and dragged his feet up to the door. He stood longer than normal before the opaque wooden barrier before reaching up with the key to enter. This wasn't really his home anymore, was it? Soon he would have to leave it and find another place, far from his son, and far from the woman he had given up because of illogical indifference and long-suffered silence.
Taking a deep breath, he went in and set the mesh bag of footballs in the hall closet. The light in the living-room was on and he could see Leslie one of her romance novels. He smiled at that. She had always liked he cheap romantic thrills – books were not meant to represent reality, they were an escape, pure fantasy.
He wanted to say something. He wanted to tell her he remembered how when they were dating he would catch her trying to hide those flimsy paperbacks so that he wouldn't know her deep dark secret passion. He wanted to tell her he had always loved that about her – how cute she was when she was embarrassed about something so innocuous.
It was too late for all that now. Wasn't it?
He couldn't stay still and continue with the way things were between them, though. Something had to change. It wasn't healthy for them, and certainly not for Gabe.
With a determination in his step he moved into their little kitchen and opened the refrigerator. The post-its mocked him from their places on all the food containers. This mess had made his own son, the most important person to them both, be afraid of disturbing anything in here in case it started another fight. They had let it go on for too long.
Pulling up the trash can beside him, Adam pulled at all the bits of paper spread throughout the shelves. With each one that he removed, one part of him broke and another felt liberated finally. The bits of paper fell away like scabs being chipped off old wounds to reveal the fresh healed skin below. He felt exhilarated.
Just at that moment Leslie walked into the space. "Just that do you think you are doing?"
He looked up at her and in complete sincerity and peace replied, "I'm putting things right – starting by ending this ridiculous tug-of-war for the refrigerator."
Leslie looked at him confused. "What?"
"You heard me." He sighed. "Things in this house have gotten out of hand and they are affecting Gabe. That's the one thing I promised myself I would screw up, but we have and Gabe is suffering for our faults. That's not good Les."
She didn't day a word. She couldn't think of what to say. He was right. They had allowed the mistakes in her relationship affect their son.
"You're right."
She sidled up next to him and started removing the papers as well, helping to make quick work of their objectionable choices. After they were through Adam made them both a cup of coffee, using the coffee from a canister of their mixed blends.
They say and talked. They looked each other in the eye and listened to each other for what was probably the first time in over a year. The effect of putting everything out was cathartic and brought the estranged couple to an understanding about where they stood with each other.
Hours later was when Gabe found them. They had progressed from the living room into the master bedroom, where the family photos were kept.
They were far from fixed, if they even still had a chance at that, but they had begun to piece themselves back together. That was all they could ask for.