Page 114 of Fierce-Michael

“I would have texted you tonight when I knew you were home alone,” she said. “I left work early because I hoped we could talk and I needed to think.”

He hadn’t expected her to say to come over now. He figured it’d be after he was done working. Since she could talk now, he wasn’t going to return to work and let them know to call or text if they needed anything.

“Where do we start?”

“I think you owe me an apology for what you said. That was very hurtful. You learn a lot from people when they fight, and if you feel that way about me, I should know.”

“I am sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean it. It slipped. My back was up because you were criticizing me.”

“I was stating facts and my feelings about what was going on. You were yelling. You were taking it as criticism.”

“Ty was waiting for me when I went upstairs on Saturday. He heard me yelling. I realized that you were being considerate by keeping your voice down and I wasn’t.”

“That’s right,” she said. “I was putting Ty first. I didn’t want him to know or be upset. You make it sound as if that is a bad thing. That I put other people’s happiness first. I only do that when I love them. That’s the difference. And I don’t do it all the time. Maybe I need to stop if it’s causing me unhappiness.”

He sighed. “I don’t want to cause you to be unhappy. I want to say this is new to me.”

“It’s been a few months,” she said. “Don’t use that as an excuse. Not once have I had one issue with Electra.”

“Not one that you’ve said, but you said enough on Saturday.”

“I think it needed to be said. All you did was verify what my thought was. And it was upsetting to know that I was right and you were allowing it to happen. Whether you meant for that to happen or not isn’t the point. If you just realized it, we could have talked. But you got defensive and went on the attack that I was trying to tell you how to parent your child.”

Nothing he hadn’t thought of for days.

“You’re right. I’m wrong. I had that coming.”

She frowned and walked over to sit on the couch. “I didn’t expect you to say that.”

“Yesterday I might not have said it. But I’ve had a few days to think it through. Then I talked to Ty on Saturday and Electra just now.”

“Anything you want to share?”

“I want to be transparent with you. I owe you that much. I hope you’ll be the same way.”

“I do think we have to be,” she said. “Why don’t you start?”

“Ty admitted to me that he isn’t happy all the time. That he gets sad and angry and that he knows I do too.”

“Everyone does,” she said. “Kids are smarter than we think.”

“I didn’t see it. He’s growing up before my eyes. He said I was mad today when I stopped at the store to pick things up because I was throwing stuff in the cart.”

She nodded her head. “Actions often tell more than words. Why were you mad?”

“I’ll get to that,” he said. “First, I realized that Electra has ups and downs like we all do and he’s witnessed them and he has survived. It’s not a big deal. He also admitted that he did have fun with her sometimes even if she tells him to go to his room to play.”

“That’s a nice thing to hear. Did it make you feel better?” she asked.

“No. Yes. I’ll explain. I bought a few food items for Ty only, nothing for Electra. She has to grow up. I dropped Ty off and asked him to go to his room and Electra and I talked. There was beer in the fridge and tons of ice cream in the freezer that Ty didn’t like. She buys herself clothing all the time and nothing for Ty. You’re right. I enable her. She’s nothing more than a babysitter for him. She buys him nothing.”

“That’s sad,” she said.

“It is and I can’t change it. I asked her when she was going to step up. Not be like me, but just step up a little. That Ty is getting older and he sees things.”

“Did she get upset?” she asked.

“She did. She tried to play me like she always does. Not with sex, but emotions. I didn’t buy it today any more than I have inthe past. She whined that Ty is never happy to see her like he was you.”