Thank you for the reviews. I'm sort of stuck about where to go from
here, but if you have any suggestions, please let me know. Oh, and it
occurs to me that I messed up on Paige's last name, I'm sorry about that.
That part was originally going to be Ellie's but I switched it to Paige
because it sounded more likely. Sorry for any confusion. And to Carrissa
(hope I spelled that right) Alexander's dad is, well, a mystery....just
kidding. When Manny left for a year after high school, she went to
California and met a guy. His name was Alex, hence Alexander's name. Also,
some people might be out of character in this story, but its like 15 years
later so people change, right?
***
"How late did you get in last night/' Mom asked when I went upstairs for breakfast.
"Late," I replied, not wanting to talk about it. what had I been thinking? Had I gone crazy? I'm still married....I just cheated on my husband.
"Uh-huh," she said, taking a drink of coffee.
"Spinner refuses to give me a divorce," I said. "And, since we were married in New York, I'll have to go back there to get it done."
"There's really no rush on it though," she said. "It's not like your going to go back to him right?"
"No way," I said. "The only reason I married him was because..." I stopped.
"Why did you marry him, Emma?" Mom asked me.
I was silent. I felt arms fling themselves around my legs. "Hi, Brock," I smiled. Saved by the kid.
***
Manny sat at her kitchen table. Alexander was asleep and Craig hadn't gotten back yet. He did that often. He would go out with his friends and wouldn't come back all night. When he finally did come back, he was staggering drunk. It was sad really, but it was his life.
Just then, Manny heard Craig come through the front door. "Speak of the devil," she mumbled. "Hey, honey. Did you have fun?"
"Yeah, I did," he said. He was drunk. It was obvious, his words slurred awfully and he could hardly walk.
"Good," she said.
"Where's breakfast?" he asked.
"It's two o'clock in the afternoon, Craig. We had breakfast over four hours ago," she said. "I'm sorry you missed it."
"Well, what about lunch?"
"When Alex wakes up," she said.
"I want to eat now," he was getting angry.
"Then fix yourself a sandwich. I have to get to the store," she said.
He slapped her. "Don't talk to me like that," he yelled angrily.
"Craig, you're drunk. Go sleep it off, I'll be back in an hour," she said to him, standing her ground.
"I'm not drunk," he lied. "And don't tell me what to do. Now fix me a sandwich."
"Fix it yourself," she said.
He grabbed her arm and threw her against the wall. "I said don't talk to me like that!"
She sighed, and fixed him a ham and cheese sandwich. Then she woke Alexander up and went to the store.
***
I walked through the video store, looking for a movie that Brock and Vanessa would equally enjoy, but that was hard to do. A really pretty woman of Hispanic origin caught my eye. Her hair was long and black and she had a little boy with her. "Manny?" I asked.
"Emma?" she said.
"Hi, how are you?" I asked, hugging her.
"I'm good, how are you?" she asked me, running her hands through her long hair.
"I'm doing well," I said. "Who's this handsome fella?"
"Alexander, how is Vanessa? Is she still an only child?" She asked.
"No, she has a little brother now. His name's Brock, he's four. He's exactly like his Dad," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Really? Poor guy," she laughed. "So, did Spinner come back with you?"
"Uh, no...we're no longer together," I told her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. What happened?" she asked.
"It's alright, things just didn't work out. He decided he liked his secretary more," I said bitterly.
"Ouch," she said. "Have you seen Sean?"
"Yeah I've seen him," that was understatement, I thought. "I'm actually working for him now."
"That's cool. Did you hear about Ellie?"
"What about Ellie?"
"You didn't know? Ellie and Sean got married," she said.
Oh god, please don't tell I slept with a married man, I thought.
"But she killed herself a year after Emily was born," she finished.
"Oh my God," I said. "That's awful. Poor Sean."
"Yeah, I know," she said. She ran her hands through her hair and something caught my eye. She had a bruise across her cheek.
"What happened?" I asked.
She seemed to get nervous, "Oh, Craig and I were fighting and I went to storm off and I ran right into a wall. It's actually quite funny."
I laughed lightly, half believing her. "Well, I'm trying to find a movie that Brock and Vanessa will both enjoy, but that's almost impossible."
"Try the Princess and the Goblin," she suggested. "It has enough action for him, but enough enchantment for her."
"Thanks," I said.
"No problem, call me sometime. We'll hang out."
***
Well, I hope you liked this chapter. There will be more coming.
***
"How late did you get in last night/' Mom asked when I went upstairs for breakfast.
"Late," I replied, not wanting to talk about it. what had I been thinking? Had I gone crazy? I'm still married....I just cheated on my husband.
"Uh-huh," she said, taking a drink of coffee.
"Spinner refuses to give me a divorce," I said. "And, since we were married in New York, I'll have to go back there to get it done."
"There's really no rush on it though," she said. "It's not like your going to go back to him right?"
"No way," I said. "The only reason I married him was because..." I stopped.
"Why did you marry him, Emma?" Mom asked me.
I was silent. I felt arms fling themselves around my legs. "Hi, Brock," I smiled. Saved by the kid.
***
Manny sat at her kitchen table. Alexander was asleep and Craig hadn't gotten back yet. He did that often. He would go out with his friends and wouldn't come back all night. When he finally did come back, he was staggering drunk. It was sad really, but it was his life.
Just then, Manny heard Craig come through the front door. "Speak of the devil," she mumbled. "Hey, honey. Did you have fun?"
"Yeah, I did," he said. He was drunk. It was obvious, his words slurred awfully and he could hardly walk.
"Good," she said.
"Where's breakfast?" he asked.
"It's two o'clock in the afternoon, Craig. We had breakfast over four hours ago," she said. "I'm sorry you missed it."
"Well, what about lunch?"
"When Alex wakes up," she said.
"I want to eat now," he was getting angry.
"Then fix yourself a sandwich. I have to get to the store," she said.
He slapped her. "Don't talk to me like that," he yelled angrily.
"Craig, you're drunk. Go sleep it off, I'll be back in an hour," she said to him, standing her ground.
"I'm not drunk," he lied. "And don't tell me what to do. Now fix me a sandwich."
"Fix it yourself," she said.
He grabbed her arm and threw her against the wall. "I said don't talk to me like that!"
She sighed, and fixed him a ham and cheese sandwich. Then she woke Alexander up and went to the store.
***
I walked through the video store, looking for a movie that Brock and Vanessa would equally enjoy, but that was hard to do. A really pretty woman of Hispanic origin caught my eye. Her hair was long and black and she had a little boy with her. "Manny?" I asked.
"Emma?" she said.
"Hi, how are you?" I asked, hugging her.
"I'm good, how are you?" she asked me, running her hands through her long hair.
"I'm doing well," I said. "Who's this handsome fella?"
"Alexander, how is Vanessa? Is she still an only child?" She asked.
"No, she has a little brother now. His name's Brock, he's four. He's exactly like his Dad," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Really? Poor guy," she laughed. "So, did Spinner come back with you?"
"Uh, no...we're no longer together," I told her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. What happened?" she asked.
"It's alright, things just didn't work out. He decided he liked his secretary more," I said bitterly.
"Ouch," she said. "Have you seen Sean?"
"Yeah I've seen him," that was understatement, I thought. "I'm actually working for him now."
"That's cool. Did you hear about Ellie?"
"What about Ellie?"
"You didn't know? Ellie and Sean got married," she said.
Oh god, please don't tell I slept with a married man, I thought.
"But she killed herself a year after Emily was born," she finished.
"Oh my God," I said. "That's awful. Poor Sean."
"Yeah, I know," she said. She ran her hands through her hair and something caught my eye. She had a bruise across her cheek.
"What happened?" I asked.
She seemed to get nervous, "Oh, Craig and I were fighting and I went to storm off and I ran right into a wall. It's actually quite funny."
I laughed lightly, half believing her. "Well, I'm trying to find a movie that Brock and Vanessa will both enjoy, but that's almost impossible."
"Try the Princess and the Goblin," she suggested. "It has enough action for him, but enough enchantment for her."
"Thanks," I said.
"No problem, call me sometime. We'll hang out."
***
Well, I hope you liked this chapter. There will be more coming.