wife had long ago shared what she knew about her father hiring someone to kill her mother.
“Sweetheart, I’m not your father,” he pleaded for her to stop blaming him for her father’s mistakes.
“Well don’t act like him then.”
Martin pursed his lips in agreement.
“I’m so sorry, Thelma. I love you.”
“I know,” she said.
Martin came over and knelt beside her chair. “I’m glad you told me everything,” he chuckled nervously.
He still couldn’t believe it; his wife had planned to kill him. And he knew from the look in her eyes -- even if she didn’t -- she was capable. Note to self , Martin thought to himself. Get Thelma’s anxiety medication checked for possible prescription mix-up.
“But no matter what,” he continued. “I am not going anywhere. Our vows said for better or worse, and even though I feel like I have a bulls-eye on my back, I am not going anywhere.”
Thelma looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
“If you cheat on me again, you won’t have to leave, because I will … with Carson. I won’t stay with a man who disrespects me. I love Carson to death; more than you and more than my own self, and I will not teach my son that it’s okay to behave like you chose to as a man growing up in this world. And if I stay with you after infidelity again, that’s exactly what I would be doing. Do we understand each other Martin Hagen?”
“Yes,” he said. “And you have nothing to worry about. Tears rimmed his eyes. “I love you Thelma.” He pulled her into his arms.
“I love you, too.”
Cynthia knew it was time for her to ease off; she’d already heard too much.
As she stepped around to the back of the house to make sure Carson was not in earshot, she sighed. Boy, this marriage thing was a big deal, she decided. A bigger deal than she’d realized.
She heard Dexter’s truck pull back up into the yard. Within moments, he was around back, too.
“Hi,” he said, kissing her on the lips as he tousled Carson’s hair. “I can tell they needed a minute,” he whispered, motioning toward the front porch.
Cynthia smiled and shook her head in agreement.
“All okay with your sis?” Cynthia asked.
“About as good as it can be, for now,” he said.
“Are you ready for this?” Dexter asked, clasping Cynthia’s hand in his.
She felt him fingering her engagement ring.
“You’re not going to get off that easy,” she teased, leaning her body back into his. “Sure, I’m ready. More than I’ve ever been ready for anything in my life.”
“Good,” Dexter squeezed her in his arms before they took a seat on the back porch.
Cynthia filled him in on what had happened between Martin and Thelma and he told her about Apple and his plans to help her get into counseling.
He smiled as he was talking, knowing he was right when he sensed early on he and Cynthia needed each other.
After a little while, they left Carson in the backyard playing with his puppy as they filtered around to the front porch.
Chapter 27
“Are you guys okay?” Cynthia asked, looking back and forth between her friends. She was not able to just brush under the rug what had happened.
“No, but we will be,” Thelma said.
“I’m sorry about Apple …” Dex tried to apologize for his sister’s behavior.
Thelma put her hand up. “No, I’m sorry. Apple was drunk, and I knew that. So I should have tempered myself,” she sighed. “Besides, I know your sister’s story. Is she going to be okay?” Thelma asked with sincere concern.
“If I have anything to say about it, she will. Apple is as stubborn as a mule, but I love her, and I’m going to make sure she gets the help she needs.
Martin squeezed his wife’s hand, realizing he needed to do the same for the mother of his child.
“Marriage is not easy,” Thelma said, peering
“Sweetheart, I’m not your father,” he pleaded for her to stop blaming him for her father’s mistakes.
“Well don’t act like him then.”
Martin pursed his lips in agreement.
“I’m so sorry, Thelma. I love you.”
“I know,” she said.
Martin came over and knelt beside her chair. “I’m glad you told me everything,” he chuckled nervously.
He still couldn’t believe it; his wife had planned to kill him. And he knew from the look in her eyes -- even if she didn’t -- she was capable. Note to self , Martin thought to himself. Get Thelma’s anxiety medication checked for possible prescription mix-up.
“But no matter what,” he continued. “I am not going anywhere. Our vows said for better or worse, and even though I feel like I have a bulls-eye on my back, I am not going anywhere.”
Thelma looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
“If you cheat on me again, you won’t have to leave, because I will … with Carson. I won’t stay with a man who disrespects me. I love Carson to death; more than you and more than my own self, and I will not teach my son that it’s okay to behave like you chose to as a man growing up in this world. And if I stay with you after infidelity again, that’s exactly what I would be doing. Do we understand each other Martin Hagen?”
“Yes,” he said. “And you have nothing to worry about. Tears rimmed his eyes. “I love you Thelma.” He pulled her into his arms.
“I love you, too.”
Cynthia knew it was time for her to ease off; she’d already heard too much.
As she stepped around to the back of the house to make sure Carson was not in earshot, she sighed. Boy, this marriage thing was a big deal, she decided. A bigger deal than she’d realized.
She heard Dexter’s truck pull back up into the yard. Within moments, he was around back, too.
“Hi,” he said, kissing her on the lips as he tousled Carson’s hair. “I can tell they needed a minute,” he whispered, motioning toward the front porch.
Cynthia smiled and shook her head in agreement.
“All okay with your sis?” Cynthia asked.
“About as good as it can be, for now,” he said.
“Are you ready for this?” Dexter asked, clasping Cynthia’s hand in his.
She felt him fingering her engagement ring.
“You’re not going to get off that easy,” she teased, leaning her body back into his. “Sure, I’m ready. More than I’ve ever been ready for anything in my life.”
“Good,” Dexter squeezed her in his arms before they took a seat on the back porch.
Cynthia filled him in on what had happened between Martin and Thelma and he told her about Apple and his plans to help her get into counseling.
He smiled as he was talking, knowing he was right when he sensed early on he and Cynthia needed each other.
After a little while, they left Carson in the backyard playing with his puppy as they filtered around to the front porch.
Chapter 27
“Are you guys okay?” Cynthia asked, looking back and forth between her friends. She was not able to just brush under the rug what had happened.
“No, but we will be,” Thelma said.
“I’m sorry about Apple …” Dex tried to apologize for his sister’s behavior.
Thelma put her hand up. “No, I’m sorry. Apple was drunk, and I knew that. So I should have tempered myself,” she sighed. “Besides, I know your sister’s story. Is she going to be okay?” Thelma asked with sincere concern.
“If I have anything to say about it, she will. Apple is as stubborn as a mule, but I love her, and I’m going to make sure she gets the help she needs.
Martin squeezed his wife’s hand, realizing he needed to do the same for the mother of his child.
“Marriage is not easy,” Thelma said, peering
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