A Severed Heart

Chapter 2 || Abstract Minded

"Babe we need to talk."

Levina turned on her side and faced her husband, who was still silent but lied on his back with his eyes open. "About what? It's one in the morning," Quinn mumbled. Levina stretched forward and turned his face to hers. She stared into his eyes with a grave look of importance. "Okay, I'm all ears."

"Quinn you need to stop pretending like that job is the only thing you live for. The rejection happened a year ago and although I know it really hurts, but it hurts more when you sit and kill yourself inside instead of attempting again. I'm tired of seeing you like this." Levina didn't want to start or have this conversation so early in the morning but his constant tossing and turning showed that he was just as bothered as she was that night.

He exhaled sharply and closed his eyes. Say something Quinn, anything to get rid of the eerie silence between us. Damn it, I don't want to talk about this now but she's right...

"Things have changed between us and I must admit, you're right," he gently mumbled while turning on his side and reaching for her arm. Levina jumped out of her light slumber from his touch. Only to see that he was still sleeping. What the...is he talking in his sleep? She waited a couple more minutes only to feel his hand pull away.

He then mumbled again, "I'm sorry, we'll have to work through this together..hm, mem, hum.." She turned to face him and shook his shoulder, "Quinn, honey, work through what together?"

His eyes shot open in embarrassment, "What?" She sat up and supported her elevation with her elbows and looked at him with curiousity and said, "I heard you talking in your sleep about working through this together. Working through what?"

He rolled onto his back and stared aimlessly at the ceiling, and wiped his hand across his face. "Quinn. Work through what?" his wife demanded.

Okay, we can't have this conversation now. "Can we talk about this in the morning? I promise," he replied still avoiding her gaze.

"Why not now? We're already up an-"

"Please? In the morning," he begged.

There was that silence again. Levina continued to intensely stare at him for ten more seconds until she acquiesced. "Fine, and first thing too, because babe, we need to talk," she finally muttered and lowered herself onto her pillow.

His heart started beating faster as the sound of those last words became eerily familiar to him. Shit. There it goes again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
~Saturday morning~

"Good morning. Breakfast is on the dining table."

Quinn watched his wife closely as she brushed past him to get her sketch pad out the room and passed him again to go around the dining table where two plates were set and two drinking glasses. One with orange juice -filled to the brim and one with iced tea -slightly drunken. Hmm...she seems a bit hasty. I guess she really wants this conversation to happen. "Good morning sweetie, thanks for the breakfast as usual," he said as he walked towards her and kissed her on the cheek.

She looked up at him. Smiled and nodded. She then resumed her sketch, adding colour to the new bird she sketched earlier this morning. Quinn slowly turned on his heels to sit on the other side of the table. Well, I guess we should start the damage now. He was about to start speaking when he saw her put down her sketch book and stared immensely at him then said, "So about last night."

Lady, I was getting to that. Why are you so adamant about it?

He cleared his throat then started again, "Yes, last night. I..uhh..had a dream about you saying that you basically hate seeing me get eaten up by the promotion rejection and yes you're right. Well, the dream you is umm right."

"Why do you let it happen?" she replied while searching his eyes for answers beyond his ken. "Every morning since that day you haven't been the same. Our relationship hasn't been the same. Quinn! For Christ's sake, we're basically two years in our marriage and that promotion rejection has dropped your libido! It seems as if I can't help in any way."

Wow, I thought I was gonna be doing the talking. My libido?.....okay maybe yeah...I can't get horny with this on my mind!

She continued, "We haven't even started 'trying' yet. What's with this rejection that has you out of sorts? I know that rejection hurts but come on, I'm sure it must be worth trying again for." Finally she calmed down, just to hear his response. Another thing she's right about. At the rate he's stressing himself out, there must be a way he can try again since it's so important.

Okay. Here it comes.

"Levina, I might get fired if I don't come up with something new and fresh for Francis." He paused to see her frozen in place with her palms clasped over her mouth. He continued, "Since the rejection, he has been hinting at people in my department to basically pull our socks up because we're apparently slacking up on being the best paper company in the town. So, our competition is really in the graphics and arts, and the people are getting tired of our traditional graphics. I wanted the promotion so that I could head the department and use the new ideas to build our team stronger but Francis-..."

"...doesn't want to lose his position as the head of everything," she finished his sentence. She rolled her eyes upward in annoyance. "He wants change but isn't willing to allow it due to the fear of shift in power."

Yeah basically...

He nodded then ate a piece of his crispy turkey bacon that was soaked in maple syrup. He felt more relieved that he got that load off his chest. The sound of her chewing made him feel as if that was the end of the conversation. Or so he thought. He looked up at her again to see her staring at him again and involuntarily jerked his shoulders back.

Gaahh...she needs to stop doing that. It's getting creepy now.

"I guess he thinks you're a threat to his authority. How long has this been happening? Our marriage has been suffering because of this and I don't know about you but I will not allow it to continue."

Quinn swallowed then admitted,"The last six months. I'm sorry I let it slip my mind from telling and let it instead feed on my conscience. That was a rather abstract way of thinking in a marriage where we should be at least honest with each other. I really do apologize baby."

Levina took a sip of her iced tea and looked down at her sketch book. She was also pondering something but it was hard for Quinn to decipher what it was. She finally replied, "All right. As you said, we have to work on this together. We'll think of a way to get through this.......together."

On that note, Quinn took two gulps from his glass of O.J. and nodded, "Agreed. So, about that libido thing..."