Standing in front of the floor length mirror wearing only a vest top and leggings her eyes were fixated on the bruising covering her shoulders. She always did bruise easily, the slightest touch. Or so she told herself. He was stressed, struggling with the pressure of a new job and a new baby it just got on top of him. On hearing the familiar sounds of his footsteps coming up the stairs she grabs the cardigan she'd flung across the chair at her side. She didn't want him to see, he'd only get upset. But she wasn't quick enough, slowed down by the overwhelming exhaustion she was feeling, he'd opened the door before she'd got a chance. He took unnecessarily quick steps towards her so much so she instantly took a few fearful steps back. He seen the fear flash across her eyes stopping him in tracks until she seen it wasn't anger in his eyes it was sadness.
"Did I do that?" He was like a child, confusion and upset filled his face. To the point she felt like she was dealing with Peter instead of her husband. She couldn't bear it instead looking at the floor as she covered her arms up. Of course they'd talked about his outburst already about two hours after it happened once Peter was sound asleep. He was overcome with guilt, shocked by his sudden uncontrollable anger. She tried to reassure him despite the shock at his actions. She had no intention of letting him know just how bruised she was but now she had no way out of it. Too late.
"Don't worry about it. It doesn't matter." Horror consumed his face in an instant finally having the confidence to move closer to her. This time, thankfully, she didn't instantly back away.
"What do you mean it doesn't matter? Of course it does! Let me see. It looks bad." Turning sideways she shifts away from him again but not from fear, pushing his concerns under the carpet so to speak. She didn't wish to go through this again but her head screamed at her she couldn't give the impression that this behaviour was acceptable. As a nurse how would she tell someone to deal with this? She'd be screaming in her head that they needed to leave their partner. But she wasn't a nurse anymore. This wasn't a patient she was dealing with. She was a wife and mother. They came before she did.
"You have a lot going on just forget it. It isn't. I just bruise easily." Keeping his voice calm despite feeling anything but he didn't understand why he did it nor why she was so calm about it.
"Lisa..." Interrupting him she carries on moving around the room, finding her shoes etc.
"I do. How many times have you seen me come home black and blue after a shift?" Sighing this wasn't helping him.
"More times than I ever should." Her tone was so matter of fact, like she wasn't talking about herself. Maybe that's how she coped right now.
"Well then. Come on I have things to be doing and you have work." Stopping her he gently takes her wrist into his, stopping her in her tracks.
"No not well then. It's bad enough seeing random drunks beating you up but that was part of your job. You never should be like this because of me." Shutting her eyes in defeat she turns to face her husband moving her wrist out of his hold and onto his shoulder.
"No I shouldn't be but I am. Where is going over and over it going to get us Andrew?" His eyes fall to the floor, realising she was right.
"No where I guess..." Interrupting him again as she heads out the bedroom door her face was stern her voice worse. Switching in an instant.
"But don't underestimate me Andrew. God help me if you do this again. I will not let our children think that this behaviour is acceptable." With that she was gone, off to deal with their crying daughter in the next room as he was left to think over her last words.
She may have sounded genuine nearly convinced herself even but she knew it was lie. She knew she'd take it again for the sake of her kids having a normal childhood. This wasn't the first time he'd hurt her. She only could hope it would be the last. Not that it happened often, very rare infact and he reacted the same way each time. But one thing was for sure if he ever layed a finger on the kids she wouldn't be responsible for her actions. The same went for if they ever witnessed him doing this to her. She would not be one of those mothers that lets her son or daughter grow up thinking this was how your treated a partner or something you accepted off one either. The first time it happened was just after they got married, as predictable as it sounded. They'd had a fight, typical again, over how to bring Peter up. How it started she couldn't remember but thankfully Peter wasn't around, instead at her mums, of course she didn't hold back and made some stupid comment about how would he know anything when he'd only been here for five minutes and instead of walking off or out like she expected him too he slapped her. She never expected it off him and certainly not so harshly, cutting her face and heavily bruising it with the force she nearly walked out then and there. Maybe she should have. But he was so sorry after and who wants to be that woman who gets divorced weeks later? She'd look like a fool. So she stayed. Thankfully he'd never touched her face again and she'd managed to fob it off as patient to her mother. Work however was much more of a challenge heavy make-up fooled nearly everyone expect Charlie. He knew her too well to know she just didn't wear make-up like that. She attempted to tell him she'd fallen drunk but he simply replied with "Don't lie to me Lisa." Eventually she revealed the truth, adding a white lie that they'd both had a few, and promised him she'd leave if he ever touched her again. Another lie. One he thankfully fell for. But of course after that she knew Charlie didn't trust him nor was he as nice to him usually opting to visit her and the kids when Andrew was working even now he still drop the odd hint to make sure he hadn't done it again. She wasn't a beaten wife and he wouldn't understand that. Andrew treated her well and adored the kids she wasn't scared of him. She promised to love him in sickness and in health. This was his sickness and it was something she could easily live with. As she said before her job left her a lot more bruised and battered than he did.