Michael’s Wife by Marlys Millhiser Page B

his hand and his coat was unbuttoned. He pretended to study the flagstone of the courtyard. For all she’d learned of his boyhood she couldn’t picture him as anything but a grown and bitter man. What would he have been like if he’d never met Laurel? If he’d married some safe and responsible woman like Claire Bently? He didn’t bother to look up as she came to stand beside him.
    â€œI see you can’t sleep either.”
    â€œI’m working on it.” He drained half the glass with one swallow.
    â€œMichael, we’re going to have to talk sometime.” She felt small standing next to him.
    â€œAll right. Janet tells me you’ve taken to sneaking out at night,” he said with that menacing softness. “Let’s talk about that.”
    â€œI went out once, only once. I followed Consuela. Did you know she’s been taking Jimmy to the Wishing Shrine? To wish … to wish that his mother would come back to him?”
    â€œPoor Consuela. She has delusions about motherhood. Why did you come back anyway?” There were dark hollows around those unnerving eyes.
    â€œThat’s what I wanted to talk about.”
    He finished his drink with a second swallow and faced her. “So talk.” His voice was almost a whisper.
    She was filled with the same breathless sensation, a mixture of fear and fluster she had whenever he looked at her directly. She wanted to run. “I don’t know why I came back.”
    â€œYou’re just full of answers tonight.” The smell of whiskey was strong on his breath.
    â€œI can’t remember why. Michael, I don’t remember anything—you—Jimmy—anything. I didn’t know my name till I called you from the motel that night. I had your name on a piece of paper and nothing else but the clothes on my back. I can’t tell you where I’ve been because I don’t know. Please believe me.”
    â€œOh, yes, I’ve heard you suffer from amnesia. That explains everything and so conveniently. Christ!” The glass shattered into tinkling fragments on the flagstone and he had her by the arm. “Where’d you get that one, off the TV screen? Well, I’m not the damn fool you married, Laurel.”
    â€œMichael!” A voice in her head screamed to her to get away, but he grabbed her other arm and held her against him, his breath hot on her forehead, the buttons of his coat cold through her nightgown.
    â€œLet me tell you why you came back. Things didn’t go well with whoever you were living with, did they? Short on money maybe? So you decided a little luxury would be a nice change of pace. Thought you’d look up old Michael and maybe for laughs see what the baby looked like? Or you’re in some kind of trouble and you had to get away. Now that I could accept, but don’t expect me to swallow amnesia.”
    He let go of her and sat on a stone couch, rubbing his forehead. For just a moment he looked defeated, this man who a second before was in a rage. His bursts of anger seemed to end as abruptly as they began. Everything about him was abrupt, startling.
    â€œThis … this luxury, as you call it, couldn’t have been what I came back for. I don’t even like it here.”
    â€œThen why the hell don’t you go? Leave us in peace. As soon as this mess in Denver is cleared up, you’re free as the wind. If it’s money you want, I’ll give you money. Just get out of my life and Jimmy’s.”
    When he raised his voice, she felt safer with him. It was when he grew so still and tense that she feared him most. “I can’t.”
    â€œWhy? Because of Jimmy?” He was mocking her now.
    â€œYes. He needs a mother, Michael. Can’t you see it?” She sat next to him.
    â€œAnd just what do you suppose he needed two years ago? You walk out on a newborn baby and now he needs a mother!”
    â€œIt was an awful thing to do. I