Chapter 5 - Daddy Fearest
(...Thomas and Violet's room...the next morning...)
The kids pack their bookbags. Granted, there isn't a whole lot to pack for third grade, but one has to be prepared.
Violet slips her arms through the straps of the sack. "Daddy sure was acting strange last night."
Cosmo floats in front of her. "Well, that's your dad for you." He puts his hand to his chin. "I remember a time when he--"
"Cosmo!" Before he can complete his thought, Wanda flies beside him and wraps her hand around his mouth. Somehow or another, he always had a way of opening his mouth a little too wide.
A lot of people wondered how she could stay with him for so very long. Look at him. He's no sheik, that's not much of a physique, and Lord knows he ain't got the smarts. But that twinkle in his eyes. His loyalty. The way he knows how to make her laugh (even when it's usually at his own expense). There are some things a girl can't quite explain.
"Honey, there's no need for you to bore the kids with uninteresting stories like these." It was part of 'Da Rules': they couldn't come out and say that one of their former godchildren happened to be the kids' father. She takes her hand from his mouth.
"I guess you're right. Besides, they get plenty of that in school."
This remark elicited giggles from the children.
Wanda sighs a bit. "Well, you two had better get going. The bus driver won't wait, you know?"
(...the kitchen...ten minutes later...)
Virginia stands at the counter packing wrapped sandwiches into a pair of brown bags. Tim sits at the table drinking coffee. The kids finish their bowls of cereal and put the containers in the sink. They stand up and head for the door.
"Whoa." The twins stop. "Don't forget your lunches." She presents the bags to her children. "Here you are, kids: ham and swiss for you, Thomas, and PB and J for you, Violet."
"Thanks, Mommy", they reply in unison.
A beeping noise from outside disrupts the tranquil mood.
"There's the bus."
"No kidding. See you later, Mommy, Daddy". Thomas and Violet rush out the door. Virginia watches from inside the doorway and waves. She closes the door and walks to the counter.
She pours a cup of coffee and sits down at the table.
"So, how are you feeling today?"
Tim doesn't answer. He probably didn't hear her. She reaches her hand to his arm. "How are you--" He jerks the extremity back. Shock is present on both of their faces.
"How are you feeling?" In spite of what just happened, Virginia figures that there's no harm in trying again.
"I'm feeling just fine, considering that people love asking me pointless questions first thing in the morning."
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to know how you were."
"And now you do: fine. You know, if you'd baby me less and trust me more, things'd go smoother around here."
"Hey. There's no need to--" A slam on the table cuts her off.
"Would you please just stop talking? For God's sake, what is so wrong with drinking a cup of coffee in peace? Can you tell me that?"
Tim glances to the clock on the wall. He finishes off his coffee and stands up. "Well, I gotta get going. My crappy job and all." He grabs his briefcase and heads for the door...without even so much as a goodbye kiss, let alone a 'goodbye'.
Virginia couldn't help but gaze; what had just happened? Over the course of their marriage, they'd had a number of arguments, mainly of a financial nature, but they each somehow managed to stop themselves from saying anything too rash. What Tim told her just now...such a nasty response to such an innocent question.
She isn't sure of what's happening, but she knows for a fact that things are definitely not fine.
(...the teacher's lounge...a few hours later...)
Virginia was distracted for much of the school day; she couldn't get Tim's outburst out of her head. Unlike other days when she was able to let the lessons flow from her lips, she stammered and stumbled. Plus, her voice got unusually high at some points. Not since childhood had she suffered that malady.
She sat on the couch with her hands in her lap. A tear falls down her face. Then another. And a few more.
Not even the door opening and closing could rouse her.
"Those kids and their..." The husky older woman notices Virginia. "What's the matter, Gin?" In the year and a half she taught at the school, Virginia wasn't fond of the nickname that Felicia Hunter, the gym teacher, had given to her, and she made every attempt to correct the well-meaning woman. Now, though, she was too down in the mouth to offer any defense.
"Well, I had an argument with Tim. My husband, you know?" Ms. Hunter did, but vaguely; whoever she talked to, she usually dominated the conversations.
"Tim...Tim. Oh, yeah, Tim." In the midst of Felicia's re-collection, Virginia wipes her eyes.
"I was only trying to help him and he just...tore into me. That's never happened before. The two of us...we've had such a great marriage. I don't know what's wrong."
Felicia sits next to the younger woman. "Let me tell you: any marriage without a few bumps, there's something wrong." Virginia whimpers a little. "Okay, not really helping. Sorry. I'm sure that Tim still loves you. He's probably going through some stuff right now." Having slogged through three marriages in two decades, Ms. Hunter had a feeling she knew what she was talking about.
"He has been acting unusual the last couple of days."
"I figure he just needs time to work through it." She puts her hand on Virginia's shoulder.
"What do you suggest, a marriage counselor?"
"More like a psychologist." Felicia reaches into her pocket and pulls out a few cards. She flips through them and hands one to Virginia.
"I don't know. Just sending him to a shrink...it seems a little extreme. Although..." She allows her mind to recall the tiff. "...is she any good?"
"She did wonders for my cousin. He had such an inferiority complex. A few sessions with her..." Felicia snaps her fingers for effect. "...he's feeling much better."
"But what if he doesn't want to go?"
The older woman sighs. "How comfortable are you with little white lies?"
Virginia looks at the card and puts it in her briefcase. The bell rings. The brunette gets up and walks to the door. "Oh, thank you, Ms. Hunter--"
"Please, Gin. Felicia."
"Felicia. This really helped me out."
"No problem. I'll see you around."
"Right." Virginia goes through the door. Helping Tim is a definite priority, but a psychologist? She shakes her head. She'll have to try something else.
(...the Turner's house...hours later...)
Ashley grabs onto the railing as she walks down the stairs. The sick look on her face gives off the distinctive air of mischief.
Virginia walks through the door.
"Mrs. Turner?" There is a quaver in Ashley's voice.
"Yes?"
The blonde girl hugs the woman. "Oh, the things that happened. Like some kind of...horrible nightmare vision."
"Uh...huh. How are the kids?"
"The kids? The kids are fine, I'm pretty sure."
At that moment, the door to the kids' bedroom opens slightly. Thomas and Violet peek their heads out.
"The...monster may have gotten them, too."
The twins can't help but giggle to themselves.
Virginia peels Ashley's arms from her midsection. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I don't know. I'd just like to go home." Ashley goes pale as she walks out the door.
"But I haven't paid you."
"I'll send a bill", she replies, the emotion gone from her voice.
Virginia shakes her head. She puts her hand to her mouth. "Kids!"
Thomas and Violet run down the stairs and hug their mother. She looks down at them.
"Just what was Ashley talking about?"
Violet puts on her best sweet face. "We don't know, Mommy." Actually, they did know. Conjuring a fire-breathing monster to frighten the nasty out of one's babysitter isn't easy, but it made for a fun time in the eyes of the children.
Thomas shrugs. "It's probably sugar. That stuff makes you hyper."
"Just like you always tell us."
"Well, yes, but..."
Tim walks through the door, disrupting her train of thought. The look on his face is far from a happy one.
Virginia steps away from the kids and goes to embrace her husband. "Hey, stranger--"
He brushes her aside. She cautiously approaches him. "How was your day?"
He responds with a glare. He almost seems to growl his words. "Every single day, it's the same thing: 'How was your day, Tim?' 'How are you feeling, Tim?' Well, maybe, I don't want to talk about my day! That thought ever cross your mind?"
Virginia gasps. The kids perform the same action. When the occasion called for it, Tim was sarcastic to inattentive people, the ignorant and the intolerant, but never his family.
"Tim, I--" He puts his finger up.
"Don't, okay. Just don't."
Violet runs to him. "Daddy, what's wrong?"
Tim crouches down and gets right in his kids' faces. "And why are you two so cheery all of the time? If you knew what you had to deal with in life, you wouldn't be so damn happy."
Virginia has had enough. It's one thing to turn on her, but, as far as she was concerned, their kids are off limits. She stands before Tim, creating a barrier between him and the kids. He meets her face to face.
He wears a defiant smirk on his face. Virginia looks at him angrily, fighting the urge to cry. To her surprise, he walks away from her and heads up the stairs. "I'll be back down in a half hour. Better get crackin' on dinner."
The dark-haired woman's eyes narrow as he makes the ascent. Upon hearing a door close, she bends down and hugs her shaken children.
"Oh. Are you two okay?"
Thomas dries his eyes."Yeah, we're fine."
Violet does the same. "What's wrong with Daddy?"
"I don't know, but I'll do something about it. Don't you worry." Virginia's eyes shift to her briefcase. She turns back to the twins. "Now, go to your room. Dinner will be ready soon."
"All right, Mommy", the children reply in unison. They walk up the stairs.
Virginia digs through her briefcase and pulls out a business card. She hoped that this person would be one of the best. They'd have to be to deal with Tim.