Through His Eyes

XV

"Thomas," Mrs. Martin groaned into the phone. "Please pick up your phone and call me back."
A knocked sounded on her hotel room door. She ended the voicemail and walked over to open up.
A gasp got stuck in her throat. "Thomas!" Mrs. Martin nearly screamed, snatching her husband inside. "Where have you been?!" she demanded, slamming the door as Mr. Martin sunk into the end of the bed.
She was about to launch into a rant when her husband's appearance stopped her. His hair was disheveled, sticking out every which way, there were two clean tears in his T-shirt-one along the left shoulder and one straight across his broad chest that were dotted in red, and his favorite sneakers that used to be pearly white were now scuffed and dirty.
"T-Thomas," Mrs. Martin stuttered. "What happened to you?"
It didn't seem like her husband was going to answer her by the way he stared blankly across the room, but he heaved a big sigh and said in a simple, matter-of-fact tone, "I got mugged last night."
This time, Mrs. Martin was able to let out her gasp. She quickly reached her husband and cupped his face in her hands. That's when she saw them: the wounds. The busted lip, bruised nose and cut along the right temple that was crusted over with dried, old blood, his dried, old blood.
"Oh, honey," she whispered.
"Three guys. All had knives. They took everything," Mr. Martin said. "My phone, my wallet, everything." He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.
"I'm sorry," Mrs. Martin sobbed softly. "About what's happened to you. About what I said in the car-"
"Don't," her husband interrupted. "You were right. The reason I acted the way I did was because you were right. I'm never around. Hell, I can barely remember when her birthday is, Tony's too."
"But I had no right to say those things," Mrs. Martin argued. "It was completely out of line. And what you said was completely true, too..."
Mr. Martin shook his head. "You're better at being a parent then I'll ever be."
"But-"
"I'm tired," Mr. Martin said in a slight pleading tone as if hoping the conversation would come to an end already. "Can we just go to sleep?"
"Sure," Mrs. Martin replied before clamping her mouth shut and helping her husband into bed after he kicked his shoes off.