weird for Rachael to look around the house and see traces of his
wife everywhere. Her face was in pictures, her porcelain figurines on tables,
and her choice of paint colors on the walls. Sometimes Rachael felt like she
had moved into someone else’s house and stepped into their ready-made family.
She
slid open the glass doors and stepped out on the deck. Grant didn't look up as
she made her way toward him.
“I'm
sorry I'm late,” she began.
“I
called the hospital,” he drank from his bottle. “They said you were busy.”
“You
know that Friday nights in the city are crazy,” Rachael explained. “There was a
bad accident and they needed the extra hands and I didn't want to leave.”
“I'm
not mad,” Grant looked over. “About that.”
Rachael
felt herself stiffen. She was too tired to have another fight about how she was
failing as a stepmother to his daughters.
“You
did miss an important phone call,” he continued. “Sit down.”
“I
think I want to stand,” pride kept her on her feet.
“Your
sister called,” Grant paused. “You never told me you had a sister.”
“We
don't speak often,” Rachael tried to brush him off. “Short emails, maybe two or
three times a year. I didn't want to talk about my family so I didn't mention
her.”
“But
she knows how to contact you,” Grant said frankly. “At my house. Yet I haven't
ever heard about her.”
“Your
house,” Rachael murmured. “It's still your house six months after I moved in.”
“You
know what I mean,” Grant scowled. “And you're changing the subject. You kept
this from me. I told you about my family.”
“I
didn't want to tell you about them,” Rachael tried to control her voice. The
last thing she needed was his daughters coming down and taking his side.
Grant
stood. “I've confided in you. I told you all about dealing with my wife's
death. Every grim detail.”
“She
was your wife! We live in her house with your children. I've distanced myself
from my family, it isn't the same thing,” Rachael said.
“Then
why do you email your sister?” Grant asked. “She told me you emailed her this
number.”
“I
don't often,” Rachael explained. “She's the only one I talk to. She was never a
problem for me. It was the rest of them who were and I don't want to talk about
them.”
Grant
stared at her as if she was a stranger. “Yet she said that she'd already spoken
to Dylan and Troy but that Troy only had your cell phone number. Who the fuck
are Dylan and Troy?” His face was grim, his mouth set in a straight line. “I
know we have our problems and your job dictates that you work long hours but I
won't tolerate infidelity.”
“Infidelity?”
Rachael was incredulous. She glanced toward the screen door where sure enough,
his daughters stood listening. “You think I've been unfaithful and my lover has
been in contact with my sister?”
“That's
what it looks like to me,” Grant crossed his arms. “If I'm wrong, explain it to
me.”
“I
shouldn't have to,” Rachael glared at him. “Is this really what you think?”
“You're
never here,” Grant told her. “You have no time for me. You have no interest in
being a mother to my children. And there is clearly a lot of information you're
keeping from me.”
“So
I'm a slut,” she stated it calmly. “I'm a slut because I'm a doctor who works
long hours. I'm a terrible person because your kids don't want me to be their
mother and because I never wanted kids of my own. Why don't I want kids of my
own? Because I had a terrible mother and I have no desire to do what was done
to me to anyone else. That's why I don't talk to my family.”
“Why
won't you talk to me? Why do I have to drag everything out of you?”
“This
is the way I am!” Rachael suddenly shouted. “And this works for me. How dare
you accuse me of cheating on you.”
“Calm
down,” Grant ordered.
“No,”
Rachael told him. “Dylan and Troy are my brothers. I saw Troy at a
wife everywhere. Her face was in pictures, her porcelain figurines on tables,
and her choice of paint colors on the walls. Sometimes Rachael felt like she
had moved into someone else’s house and stepped into their ready-made family.
She
slid open the glass doors and stepped out on the deck. Grant didn't look up as
she made her way toward him.
“I'm
sorry I'm late,” she began.
“I
called the hospital,” he drank from his bottle. “They said you were busy.”
“You
know that Friday nights in the city are crazy,” Rachael explained. “There was a
bad accident and they needed the extra hands and I didn't want to leave.”
“I'm
not mad,” Grant looked over. “About that.”
Rachael
felt herself stiffen. She was too tired to have another fight about how she was
failing as a stepmother to his daughters.
“You
did miss an important phone call,” he continued. “Sit down.”
“I
think I want to stand,” pride kept her on her feet.
“Your
sister called,” Grant paused. “You never told me you had a sister.”
“We
don't speak often,” Rachael tried to brush him off. “Short emails, maybe two or
three times a year. I didn't want to talk about my family so I didn't mention
her.”
“But
she knows how to contact you,” Grant said frankly. “At my house. Yet I haven't
ever heard about her.”
“Your
house,” Rachael murmured. “It's still your house six months after I moved in.”
“You
know what I mean,” Grant scowled. “And you're changing the subject. You kept
this from me. I told you about my family.”
“I
didn't want to tell you about them,” Rachael tried to control her voice. The
last thing she needed was his daughters coming down and taking his side.
Grant
stood. “I've confided in you. I told you all about dealing with my wife's
death. Every grim detail.”
“She
was your wife! We live in her house with your children. I've distanced myself
from my family, it isn't the same thing,” Rachael said.
“Then
why do you email your sister?” Grant asked. “She told me you emailed her this
number.”
“I
don't often,” Rachael explained. “She's the only one I talk to. She was never a
problem for me. It was the rest of them who were and I don't want to talk about
them.”
Grant
stared at her as if she was a stranger. “Yet she said that she'd already spoken
to Dylan and Troy but that Troy only had your cell phone number. Who the fuck
are Dylan and Troy?” His face was grim, his mouth set in a straight line. “I
know we have our problems and your job dictates that you work long hours but I
won't tolerate infidelity.”
“Infidelity?”
Rachael was incredulous. She glanced toward the screen door where sure enough,
his daughters stood listening. “You think I've been unfaithful and my lover has
been in contact with my sister?”
“That's
what it looks like to me,” Grant crossed his arms. “If I'm wrong, explain it to
me.”
“I
shouldn't have to,” Rachael glared at him. “Is this really what you think?”
“You're
never here,” Grant told her. “You have no time for me. You have no interest in
being a mother to my children. And there is clearly a lot of information you're
keeping from me.”
“So
I'm a slut,” she stated it calmly. “I'm a slut because I'm a doctor who works
long hours. I'm a terrible person because your kids don't want me to be their
mother and because I never wanted kids of my own. Why don't I want kids of my
own? Because I had a terrible mother and I have no desire to do what was done
to me to anyone else. That's why I don't talk to my family.”
“Why
won't you talk to me? Why do I have to drag everything out of you?”
“This
is the way I am!” Rachael suddenly shouted. “And this works for me. How dare
you accuse me of cheating on you.”
“Calm
down,” Grant ordered.
“No,”
Rachael told him. “Dylan and Troy are my brothers. I saw Troy at a
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