Fake Plastic Trees: Chapter- Broken Man
Summary: "She lives with a broken man, a cracked polystyrene man, who just crumbles and burns."
Rating: PG-13
She hated seeing him like this, especially when he didn't know she was watching him. She felt like she was viewing the death of a helpless animal. It was the simple things that really got to her, like coming home from work and finding him asleep on the couch with a picture of them on their wedding day, or listening to music in the bedroom by himself. He was secluding himself from her and she hated it. It made her feel guilty and tense every time they actually DID talk. It had been weeks since "the incident" and she could only recall perhaps 5 conversations that had taken place between them since. The most heart-wrenching thing was knowing that it was all her fault and that she couldn't do anything about it.
At first, his reaction had angered her. She deemed his behavior childish and didn't understand why he couldn't just "be a man". She might have even asked him that once, actually, and this realization made her furious with herself. She knew that as frustrated as she was with the situation, he was probably even more so. This was one of the defining milestones of a relationship- if they could make it past this dilemma, they were probably home free. It was a tough situation to navigate, though, because it was hard to express to him how unprepared she felt without making him feel like she was unprepared for their relationship as well. Obviously, judging from his late night sob sessions with their wedding album, that's the opinion he currently held. She wanted desperately, more so than anything else, to make things right between them. She knew they could work through anything together and that this was just one more hurtle they were going to have to cross. Tonight would be the night. Even if it resulted in another showdown, she was going to break through to him. She had to.
[Scene: Ross and Rachel's Apartment. Ross is on the couch and Rachel comes out of the back bedroom. He doesn't notice her presence at first but looks at her when she sits down next to him.]
Rachel: Hey.
Ross: Hi.
Rachel: Can we talk?
Ross (pretending to read his book): About what?
Rachel: Let's not pretend we don't know, okay?
At this, Ross looked at her sincerely for the first time in days. He looked at her as if he was actually seeing her and not just a conflict.
Ross: Okay.
Rachel: Ross...Why is it that you think I don't want to have kids?
Ross: You already told me. It's because...
Rachel: That's not what I asked.
Ross (after a moment): Because you don't have enough faith in our relationship.
She had been expecting something like that but it stung to actually hear the words.
Rachel: Is that really what you think?
Ross: Yes.
Rachel: Do you want to know the truth?
Ross: Yes.
Rachel: Honestly...I am a little scared, and NOT because I don't love you.
Ross: Then why?
Rachel: I've just...I've never known a married couple who had kids and...stayed happy afterwards.
Ross: What do you mean, "stayed happy"?
Rachel: I mean, think about how we are now. We can do whatever we want, whenever we want. We can be spontaneous and young and in love, and we can afford to be all of those things because we're only living for ourselves. I know it's selfish...but I waited for so long to be with you, I don't want our time together to be over before it begins.
Ross: Rach, if you've never met a couple who could remain happy after having children, you've never met a couple who stood a chance from the beginning. We do...we will. I know it's hard to understand because you've never witnessed it and that scares you...but the best things in life are the things that require a little risk.
Rachel: I agree. I guess I just feel like this is one of the few things that isn't worth messing up if you take the risk and it ends up being the wrong decision. I've always known that when I had kids, it would be 1) with someone I loved and 2) at a time in my life when I thought it was appropriate. Number one's been marked off for about 5 years...but number 2 is what makes it scary. Aren't you even the least bit afraid we'll screw up?
Ross: No.
Rachel: How can you possibly be so sure?
Ross (taking her hand): Because I know you...and I know us...and that makes it impossible for us to mess up.
At this, Rachel could feel the tears forming in the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall. How could she ever stay mad at this man? Damn him. Damn him for always knowing what to say and exactly how to say it. It made it nearly impossible for her to argue her point.
Ross: I have to tell you Rachel, but allow me to let you in on a little secret. Nobody knows when it's the right time. Everyone else who's ever had a baby since the beginning of time has felt the exact same way we're feeling. All of them. They were all scared and anxious and unsure, but you know what?
Rachel: What?
Ross: Those same people are the ones who's children grew up to be scientists and doctors and lawyers. They were scared shitless, just like us, but they made it...and those are the couples you've never met. Those are the ones like us- the ones who loved each other enough. And if that isn't enough to convince you, I don't know what is.
Okay, it was official, she was definitely crying now.
Rachel: Ross?
Ross: Yeah?
Rachel: I think you just convinced me.
End of Chapter 3. To Be Continued.
*Note: Someone had requested longer chapters. I really wish I could fulfill that expectation but, unfortunately, I'm a college student and that proves to take up a LOT of my time. I can't usually update the chapters until around midnight and I'm so exhausted by then that I'm lucky I can even form coherent sentences. Please bare with me. I promise the content of the story will not suffer, but you may have to wait longer to get it in it's entirety. Thank you.
Summary: "She lives with a broken man, a cracked polystyrene man, who just crumbles and burns."
Rating: PG-13
She hated seeing him like this, especially when he didn't know she was watching him. She felt like she was viewing the death of a helpless animal. It was the simple things that really got to her, like coming home from work and finding him asleep on the couch with a picture of them on their wedding day, or listening to music in the bedroom by himself. He was secluding himself from her and she hated it. It made her feel guilty and tense every time they actually DID talk. It had been weeks since "the incident" and she could only recall perhaps 5 conversations that had taken place between them since. The most heart-wrenching thing was knowing that it was all her fault and that she couldn't do anything about it.
At first, his reaction had angered her. She deemed his behavior childish and didn't understand why he couldn't just "be a man". She might have even asked him that once, actually, and this realization made her furious with herself. She knew that as frustrated as she was with the situation, he was probably even more so. This was one of the defining milestones of a relationship- if they could make it past this dilemma, they were probably home free. It was a tough situation to navigate, though, because it was hard to express to him how unprepared she felt without making him feel like she was unprepared for their relationship as well. Obviously, judging from his late night sob sessions with their wedding album, that's the opinion he currently held. She wanted desperately, more so than anything else, to make things right between them. She knew they could work through anything together and that this was just one more hurtle they were going to have to cross. Tonight would be the night. Even if it resulted in another showdown, she was going to break through to him. She had to.
[Scene: Ross and Rachel's Apartment. Ross is on the couch and Rachel comes out of the back bedroom. He doesn't notice her presence at first but looks at her when she sits down next to him.]
Rachel: Hey.
Ross: Hi.
Rachel: Can we talk?
Ross (pretending to read his book): About what?
Rachel: Let's not pretend we don't know, okay?
At this, Ross looked at her sincerely for the first time in days. He looked at her as if he was actually seeing her and not just a conflict.
Ross: Okay.
Rachel: Ross...Why is it that you think I don't want to have kids?
Ross: You already told me. It's because...
Rachel: That's not what I asked.
Ross (after a moment): Because you don't have enough faith in our relationship.
She had been expecting something like that but it stung to actually hear the words.
Rachel: Is that really what you think?
Ross: Yes.
Rachel: Do you want to know the truth?
Ross: Yes.
Rachel: Honestly...I am a little scared, and NOT because I don't love you.
Ross: Then why?
Rachel: I've just...I've never known a married couple who had kids and...stayed happy afterwards.
Ross: What do you mean, "stayed happy"?
Rachel: I mean, think about how we are now. We can do whatever we want, whenever we want. We can be spontaneous and young and in love, and we can afford to be all of those things because we're only living for ourselves. I know it's selfish...but I waited for so long to be with you, I don't want our time together to be over before it begins.
Ross: Rach, if you've never met a couple who could remain happy after having children, you've never met a couple who stood a chance from the beginning. We do...we will. I know it's hard to understand because you've never witnessed it and that scares you...but the best things in life are the things that require a little risk.
Rachel: I agree. I guess I just feel like this is one of the few things that isn't worth messing up if you take the risk and it ends up being the wrong decision. I've always known that when I had kids, it would be 1) with someone I loved and 2) at a time in my life when I thought it was appropriate. Number one's been marked off for about 5 years...but number 2 is what makes it scary. Aren't you even the least bit afraid we'll screw up?
Ross: No.
Rachel: How can you possibly be so sure?
Ross (taking her hand): Because I know you...and I know us...and that makes it impossible for us to mess up.
At this, Rachel could feel the tears forming in the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall. How could she ever stay mad at this man? Damn him. Damn him for always knowing what to say and exactly how to say it. It made it nearly impossible for her to argue her point.
Ross: I have to tell you Rachel, but allow me to let you in on a little secret. Nobody knows when it's the right time. Everyone else who's ever had a baby since the beginning of time has felt the exact same way we're feeling. All of them. They were all scared and anxious and unsure, but you know what?
Rachel: What?
Ross: Those same people are the ones who's children grew up to be scientists and doctors and lawyers. They were scared shitless, just like us, but they made it...and those are the couples you've never met. Those are the ones like us- the ones who loved each other enough. And if that isn't enough to convince you, I don't know what is.
Okay, it was official, she was definitely crying now.
Rachel: Ross?
Ross: Yeah?
Rachel: I think you just convinced me.
End of Chapter 3. To Be Continued.
*Note: Someone had requested longer chapters. I really wish I could fulfill that expectation but, unfortunately, I'm a college student and that proves to take up a LOT of my time. I can't usually update the chapters until around midnight and I'm so exhausted by then that I'm lucky I can even form coherent sentences. Please bare with me. I promise the content of the story will not suffer, but you may have to wait longer to get it in it's entirety. Thank you.