Two women drove along in an uneasy silence, through the trees and out towards the country road that would eventually return them to town. Neither of them wanted to be in the car. It wasn't that they hated each other exactly, it was that both wanted to be somewhere else with their respective nightmares and romantic separations behind them.
Through the rain they continued, the silence punctuated only by the sound of the wipers against the windshield. The rhythmic swish of the blades was struggling against the onslaught, and finally couldn't keep up. The driver knew they couldn't continue until the deluge was over and so she pulled off the road.
"That's great!"
"What would you have me do, kill us?"
"You manage to steer ships and you can't drive in a little rain?"
"Ships are different. Rain on the lake isn't comfortable to steer in either."
"But you don't have a choice out there, so why stop now?"
"Because I like my life and I don't intend to end it now. Not for you, not for anyone."
"Really? You wouldn't know by looking at you, and your choices of late seem to belie that attitude."
"My choices? What are you talking about?"
"You broke his heart, you know."
"His heart? Who's heart? What are you talking about?"
"You know very well who I mean. He was willing to do anything for you and you threw it all in his face."
"I did not. I just couldn't live with things the way they were. He was being torn so I just removed myself."
"That's not what I heard."
"And what did you hear?"
"I heard you pitched quite the fit at the nurse's hub and embarrassed him. You wouldn't even listen to him."
"And why do you care?"
"I don't."
"Well you must. You're the one bringing it up."
"I'm not exactly a disinterested party, you know."
"What? You have the father and the daughter and now you want the son? Most of the time you ignore him and act like he doesn't exist"
"I have their father, and because of him I care about his children, so sue me. I know he exists and I've depended on him a great deal."
"Then why don't you ever tell him?"
"Not that it's any of your business but I have told him."
"Really? You'll blast all around town talking about his sister, but you don't even seem to care with things are hard for him."
"Okay, what am I missing."
"What? Missing? I don't know what you mean."
"Sweetheart, I was lying through my teeth before you were born. You're not telling me the whole truth."
"What truth do you want to hear?"
"It's all an act, isn't it. I knew something seemed off when you were supposed to be separated but you still helped with this family nightmare. So are you scamming the good guys or the bad guys?"
"You have an active imagination. I wouldn't have guessed that."
"Don't change the subject. I'm better at that, too."
"What do you want to hear? You obviously aren't going to believe the truth."
"I might if I heard it."
"You're jumping to conclusions."
"And you're sidestepping."
"I can't help you."
"Look, I've kept so many secrets over my life the Secret Service would be impressed. I've already figured it out so why don't you just own up to it."
"It's not that simple."
"Honey, with this family, nothing is."
"True…"
"Well?"
"Oh… okay, you're right. It's all an act. I'm doing some investigation work and being a cop's girlfriend would get in the way."
"He's okay with this?"
"Are you kidding? Of course he's not. You're married to his father, you must know what they're like."
"Oh believe me, I understand completely."
"You really can't let on to anyone."
"No one I know would care anyway."
"That's probably true."
"So are you making headway?"
"Yeah… kind of…"
"Do I want to know?"
"No you don't. Besides you have enough on your plate."
"Alright."
"But could you do one thing?"
"Depends."
"Could you just pay him a little more attention. With is sister and his father and now me… he's carrying a lot."
"I'll see what I can do.
With the downpour over, the driver pulled the car back on to the road. The city was on the horizon and both women knew their acting skills would be called upon shortly. Nothing was ever easy when you lived large and loved large.
