Unhappily Married ✓

22. Too Late

"Sexiness wears thin after a while, and beauty fades. But to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, now that's a real treat."—JoAnne Woodward

Pulling on my denim jacket, I yell out. "Todd, come on, we're getting late!"

"I'm ready; let's go."

"Finally!" I mutter under my breath.

As I climb down the porch steps, an icy wind brushes pasts my skin, making me shudder.

Todd takes me by surprise when he opens the passenger seat door and immediately gets in the car. I wasn't expecting this from him, but I'm happy he's getting over his fears. Who knows, maybe one day, he'll start driving his own car.

As I slide in the driver's seat, I put on my seatbelt and switch the heater on.

"It's so cold tonight, isn't it?" I ask, rubbing my hands together.

Todd doesn't reply and a few seconds later, I turn my head to find him staring blankly at his shoes.

"Todd?"

He doesn't even budge.

I frown. "Is everything all right?"

He sighs, "It could've been me."

"Todd, what're you talking about?"

"He...he saved me. I-I could've been...dead—"

"Hey, don't talk like that," I say, taking his hand in mine.

Tears well up in his eyes and I squeeze his hand to give him some sort of comfort, but unfortunately, it doesn't work. He keeps a firm hold on my hand as tears continue to fall from his eyes. It feels as if he's losing himself and my heart sinks to see him in such a vulnerable state.

His father's death has left a deep scar on him.

When Todd was fourteen, he went camping with his Dad and that's when his life took a sharp turn. On their way back home, something miserable happened—the brake system failed completely. His Dad tried everything he could, but the situation had already slipped through his hands.

They had no way out, but Todd's Dad didn't give up. He opened the passenger door and pushed Todd out just in time. The instant Todd harshly landed on the road, the car tumbled off the cliff and burned out completely.

His Dad couldn't make it.

Although, Todd doesn't talk much about this incident, I know it still haunts him.

I feel a sudden pang of sadness because I don't know what to do to make him feel better. I won't say I understand his pain, but I can imagine how heart-rending it must be for him to lose his father. Whenever Todd remembers him, that fatal accident flashes through his mind and those bad memories render him a hopeless mess.

I wrap my arms around his shoulders and he buries his head in my neck. As his shoulders shake slightly, he pulls me closer and I continue to rub my hands on his back.

"Shh, it's okay," I whisper, gently stroking his hair.

A few minutes later, Todd slowly pulls away, his face inches away from mine. A few strands of my hair stick to the side of his cheeks. He reaches out and tucks the unruly lock behind my ear, his fingers sending chills through my body.

"I'm sorry, Stella. I didn't mean to ruin this night...I just. I don't know...I am so—"

I shake my head. "It is okay, Todd. Um, if you don't want to go, we can go back inside."