CHAPTER 4
Nikki and Dom waved goodbye as the mini-van pulled out of their driveway. Her heart was breaking -- how was she not going to see her precious babies for three weeks? It seemed impossible. She turned to say something to Dom and he was gone inside the house. She walked in slowly, praying to herself, "please, let him talk to me". "Dom?" He was sitting on the couch drinking a beer. "Well, take your clothes off." "What did you say to me?" "I said take your clothes off -- that's what you wanted this little three week free time from our children for, isn't it? Hurry up, I've got a car to work on." She was stunned -- he never spoke to her like that. Her eyes threatened to fill with tears but she held back. "Why don't you go and fuck that car if you love it so much." He got up and grabbed her arms. "Why, Nik? You don't want your husband to fuck you? You don't want your husband right now?" He was squeezing. "You are hurting me." He let go immediately, a look of shame on his face. "No, Dominic, I don't want you -- not now." "I wonder why?" He jumped in front of her as she started to walk up the stairs to their bedroom. "You're in a big hurry to get me out of the house, aren't you Nik?" "What are you talking about?" The tears were pushing to get out and she knew at once it was impossible not to let them fall. "What is wrong with you? You're yelling at me, fighting with guys, working out to the point you can barely walk up the stairs at night, drinking too much. Dominic, talk to me -- you've always been able to talk to me." She grabbed his arm and when he swung his arm around to move her off, he moved too fast and she flew backwards and into the wall. They stared at each other, both shocked at what happened. "Oh, jeez ..." She rubbed the back of her head where she hit herself. "Nikki -- I'm so sorry, I swear to God I didn't mean to push you like that -- I just wanted you to let go of me." She was angry now -- his little demonstration had forced back her tears and brought out her anger. "Since when do you want me to let go of any part of your body, Dom? Ever? Just in this last three months -- before that, for the past three years all we've done is talk and touch -- now we barely do either." "I'm not the one who ..." He stopped talking and stared at her. "Who what -- did I do something to you? Tell me what it is so I can make it better because I will do anything to get back what we had." Now she was crying again. "It meant the world." "Sometimes the world fucks you over, darling. You, of all people, should know that." And with that statement, he walked out of the house. Nikki walked up to the bedroom and laid down, crying for what felt like hours. She had no idea of when he'd be home -- wanted him home and didn't want him home all at the same time. If she wasn't sure that his pushing her into the wall had been an accident, she would leave him right now, but she knew it was. Dom would lay down his life before hurting her -- she believed that with all of her heart. But what on earth did he think she did to him?
CHAPTER 5
Dom walked into the computer store with the manila envelope in his hands that he had found three months ago on his car window. He really didn't want anyone to see what was inside -- even though he couldn't stop looking himself. But he needed help and although Jesse was the one person who could answer his questions, Dom wanted a stranger who wouldn't sugar- coat the truth. He looked around for someone young, who would know about this, and who wouldn't stun easily. There were a lot of salesmen and he found one who was around his age. "Do you know much about computers?" The guy started a sales pitch and Dom stopped him. "No, I'm not here to buy one. Do you know about computer pictures and imaging and that shit?" "Oh, yeah -- why? We have great scanners." Damnit, Dom thought. "Can I see your manager?" Dom figured that the manager probably was who he should have asked for in the first place. The older man came over and Dom told him he had a serious matter to discuss and they went into the tiny cubical office. "Look, I need an opinion of someone who knows computers and I figure that is you. I got these pictures and I want to know if they are real or computer enhanced." He opened the manila envelope and heard the manager take a sharp breath. "Beautiful woman." "My wife." "Okay, I understand now. Son, with the computer technology that is out today, anything is possible, but I think there is a really good chance that these pictures are real. I doubt very highly that a computer could do this, or even a very good digital camera -- even by a professional photographer. I'm sorry, but I think this is the real thing." Dom grabbed the pictures up and walked out, without thanking him. If he had only stayed with the young salesman, he would have gotten a totally different answer.
Nikki and Dom waved goodbye as the mini-van pulled out of their driveway. Her heart was breaking -- how was she not going to see her precious babies for three weeks? It seemed impossible. She turned to say something to Dom and he was gone inside the house. She walked in slowly, praying to herself, "please, let him talk to me". "Dom?" He was sitting on the couch drinking a beer. "Well, take your clothes off." "What did you say to me?" "I said take your clothes off -- that's what you wanted this little three week free time from our children for, isn't it? Hurry up, I've got a car to work on." She was stunned -- he never spoke to her like that. Her eyes threatened to fill with tears but she held back. "Why don't you go and fuck that car if you love it so much." He got up and grabbed her arms. "Why, Nik? You don't want your husband to fuck you? You don't want your husband right now?" He was squeezing. "You are hurting me." He let go immediately, a look of shame on his face. "No, Dominic, I don't want you -- not now." "I wonder why?" He jumped in front of her as she started to walk up the stairs to their bedroom. "You're in a big hurry to get me out of the house, aren't you Nik?" "What are you talking about?" The tears were pushing to get out and she knew at once it was impossible not to let them fall. "What is wrong with you? You're yelling at me, fighting with guys, working out to the point you can barely walk up the stairs at night, drinking too much. Dominic, talk to me -- you've always been able to talk to me." She grabbed his arm and when he swung his arm around to move her off, he moved too fast and she flew backwards and into the wall. They stared at each other, both shocked at what happened. "Oh, jeez ..." She rubbed the back of her head where she hit herself. "Nikki -- I'm so sorry, I swear to God I didn't mean to push you like that -- I just wanted you to let go of me." She was angry now -- his little demonstration had forced back her tears and brought out her anger. "Since when do you want me to let go of any part of your body, Dom? Ever? Just in this last three months -- before that, for the past three years all we've done is talk and touch -- now we barely do either." "I'm not the one who ..." He stopped talking and stared at her. "Who what -- did I do something to you? Tell me what it is so I can make it better because I will do anything to get back what we had." Now she was crying again. "It meant the world." "Sometimes the world fucks you over, darling. You, of all people, should know that." And with that statement, he walked out of the house. Nikki walked up to the bedroom and laid down, crying for what felt like hours. She had no idea of when he'd be home -- wanted him home and didn't want him home all at the same time. If she wasn't sure that his pushing her into the wall had been an accident, she would leave him right now, but she knew it was. Dom would lay down his life before hurting her -- she believed that with all of her heart. But what on earth did he think she did to him?
CHAPTER 5
Dom walked into the computer store with the manila envelope in his hands that he had found three months ago on his car window. He really didn't want anyone to see what was inside -- even though he couldn't stop looking himself. But he needed help and although Jesse was the one person who could answer his questions, Dom wanted a stranger who wouldn't sugar- coat the truth. He looked around for someone young, who would know about this, and who wouldn't stun easily. There were a lot of salesmen and he found one who was around his age. "Do you know much about computers?" The guy started a sales pitch and Dom stopped him. "No, I'm not here to buy one. Do you know about computer pictures and imaging and that shit?" "Oh, yeah -- why? We have great scanners." Damnit, Dom thought. "Can I see your manager?" Dom figured that the manager probably was who he should have asked for in the first place. The older man came over and Dom told him he had a serious matter to discuss and they went into the tiny cubical office. "Look, I need an opinion of someone who knows computers and I figure that is you. I got these pictures and I want to know if they are real or computer enhanced." He opened the manila envelope and heard the manager take a sharp breath. "Beautiful woman." "My wife." "Okay, I understand now. Son, with the computer technology that is out today, anything is possible, but I think there is a really good chance that these pictures are real. I doubt very highly that a computer could do this, or even a very good digital camera -- even by a professional photographer. I'm sorry, but I think this is the real thing." Dom grabbed the pictures up and walked out, without thanking him. If he had only stayed with the young salesman, he would have gotten a totally different answer.