We're Home – Part 16

The most dangerous untruths are truths moderately distorted. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

Beware of the half-truth. You may have gotten hold of the wrong half. Author Unknown

" Where's Mel?" Lexie asked upon Archie's arrival home without their daughter
" She asked to stay the night at Nancy's house, so I said it was okay. It is okay isn't it?" Archie checked
" Yeah, fine" Lexie answered, going back to the book she was reading
" Lex we need to talk" Archie requested
" About what?" Lexie asked, without looking up
" About this, about everything that's going on. This is not how I want our marriage to be" Archie rambled
Lexie glanced up and regarded him with a cool stare " You're thinking of our marriage?" she replied incredulously
" Lexie…"
Lexie put down her book and stared at her husband, he very rarely called her Lexie- it was generally Lex, and over the course of approximately seven years of marriage it had become increasingly so.
" Fine, Archie. What would you like to talk about?"
" When I was away with Lizzie, did something happen between you and Paul?" Archie asked, holding his breath
Lexie gazed at him in disbelief " You're kidding right?!"
" No, Lex- it's obvious he likes you. You two spend quite a bit of time together…" Archie's voice trailed off at the look on Lexie's face
" I can't believe you!" She exclaimed, " You have the nerve to accuse me of carrying on with your brother, when you and Katrina-"
" Me and Katrina what?" He challenged
" Never mind" Lexie commented
" No Lex, tell me" Archie prompted
" I feel sick, excuse me" Lexie stammered, pushing past him and running upstairs
Archie glanced after her, 'wasn't a trip to Glenbogle meant to be a happy occasion for his family, not a horror deviation?'
He was startled out of his trance by his mother entering the room
" Hello Archie" she smiled, walking past him to find a book
" Hello mother" Archie answered dismally
Molly turned around to glance at him " Are you okay?"
" Fine" Archie replied
" Where's Lexie?" Molly inquired
" Upstairs I think," He murmured
" And Mel?"
" Staying at a friend's house in the village"
" Are you sure everything's alright?" Molly repeated, sitting down beside him
Archie looked at his mother and shook his head. Molly reached out and placed her hand over his
" What's wrong darling?"
" Mother, while I was away in Nepal did Paul ever make advances on Lexie?"
Molly's eyes widened, but then she considered the question rationally
" Not really, but then I wasn't around all the time. They did spend a fair amount of time together, but she was just looking for some support to help her through your absence."
Archie sighed and Molly conscientiously observed his mood
" You think there's something going on between them? Oh Archie I doubt very much that Lexie would do anything like that!"
Archie thought about it…it wasn't really Lexie that he didn't trust. But that only left one person- Paul. Why was it that he suspected that he was interested in his wife? Archie said a quick goodbye to Molly and walked out the door, deciding to try and clear his head.
He realised that it all went back to that morning after he and Lexie had gone out to tea and come home drunk, even with a hangover he had still seen the look that Paul had given Lexie when he had helped him carry in the coffee the next morning. The way he looked at her had sent an unfamiliar and unpleasant feeling through Archie's body, Lexie was HIS wife, not anybody else's, and he wasn't about to allow any man the liberty of even considering the prospect.
When Golly had implied that Paul was and always had been slightly besotted by his beautiful and outgoing sister-in-law it had been the straw that broke the camels back. Archie trusted Golly, and trusted his opinion- when coupled with his own observations the case was sealed.
The other problem however was Lexie's obsession with thinking that there was something between him and Katrina. There wasn't, but how could he convince her of that if she wouldn't even listen to him. She seemed to be constantly leaving conversations or fights by saying that she was tired, or she felt sick.
The truth was he was worried about her, and worried about Melanie too, as all this mistrust and accusations would place her would be smack bang in the middle of everything.

We're Home – Part 17

Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces. Sigmund Freud

Lexie was glad that Mel was out of the house that night. She had a distinct feeling that the tension between herself and Archie was very soon going to boil over into an all out fight and she didn't want their daughter to be around to witness it.
She didn't know why it was all such a big thing to her. She had heard the quote once that 'He that is not jealous is not in love'. If that was the truth then this whole thing just proved that Archie and she were in love, but it was a very painful way of proving something she already knew.
She waited for Archie to come up and find her. Technically she wanted to be alone, but at the same time she would be disappointed if he didn't at least see if she was okay. Even though she probably would refuse to talk to him, and be generally unsociable it didn't mean that she didn't want to at least know he cared.
But he didn't come. She waited, and waited and no familiar knock came at the door, no well-known footfall sounded behind her. No arms wrapped around her, no kiss on her cheek. Lexie felt desolate and unloved.
But most of all she felt angry!
Angry that her own husband wasn't there for her, just like he hadn't been there for her when he had gone to Nepal. When her father had come back, when she had needed him he just wasn't there.
Lexie bit her lip. She'd always felt unloved, not good enough, deserted. With her mother, her father, even her husband. But why?
Archie had been there for her through many other hard things, through thick and thin. She knew he loved her, deep down she did. Why wouldn't she accept that?
Finally she walked to the window, it was getting late and she was worried about where Archie actually was. She saw him down by the loch; well rather she saw the shadow of a figure, but she would know him anywhere.
Eventually the door to the room did open, and she was lying in wait. Archie glanced at her and then hang up his jacket on the wardrobe
" You gonna tell me what's wrong?" He asked
Lexie was fuming, " What's wrong?! Everything's wrong Archie I just don't know what's going on all of a sudden!"
" That makes two of us," Archie answered under his breath
Lexie shook her head in rage
" Is there anything between you and Katrina Archie? Don't lie to me!"
" NO" Archie denied, pronouncing the word like she was a two year old or slightly hard of hearing " How many times do I have to tell you!"
Lexie glared at him, " I saw the way that you were looking at her at the gathering"
" How I looked at her?! Lexie are you blind?! Have you seen the way that Paul looks at you!!"
" Don't change the subject!"
" I'll bloody well change the subject whenever I want to" Archie shouted back, then tried to calm himself down, whispering " Look Lexie, it's not that I don't trust you. But well, I don't like people looking at my wife like Paul looks at you."
" Your wife?! Archie I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself thankyou. I am not your property as such"
" I didn't mean it like that" Archie tried to correct- but the damage was done.
Lexie glared at him and he knew there was no way out
" Well that's how you're treating me too!" Archie countered, " You're doing exactly the same thing with me and Katrina."
Lexie shook her head; " I have a basis for mine"
" So do I!" Archie yelled
" You bastard Archie MacDonald! Just leave me alone, you're the most ARROGANT, UNCARING man I've ever met!!" Lexie yelled
" Well you're the most SELFISH and HARDHEADED woman I've ever met!!" Archie countered
" Go to hell!" Lexie fumed, reaching under his pillow for his pajamas and throwing them out the door
" What do you think you're doing?!" Archie exclaimed
" You're in the doghouse. I'm not sleeping with you tonight, not even in the same room- get out NOW!"
Archie was seething " This is my room!"
" Not tonight!" Lexie screamed back, throwing a blanket and pillow into the hall.
Archie was still furious, but knew better then to mess with Lexie's temper
" FINE!!" he yelled, heading for the door
" FINE!!" Lexie echoed, slamming the door behind him.
Archie picked up his things off the hallway floor and stormed downstairs.
Lexie paced back and forth cursing, hands on hips. A photo of the two of them with Melanie caught her eye and she suddenly felt her eyes sting as unbidden tears streamed down her face.
With a scream she flung herself down onto the bed and bawled her eyes out until there was nothing left.


There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls. George Carlin, Brain Droppings, 1997…………………….