Love is the Best Medicine

Chapter 32

"Hello, beautiful." Don said greeting his wife as he entered their Brentwood, California kitchen after another productive day at his studio. They hadn't lived in California for too long, but he actually didn't mind it too much.  He didn't like having to drive everywhere, and the snootiness of it, but he sure did enjoy working outside most of the time; something he wasn't able to do on the east coast.

Meryl sighed as she put dinner in the oven. "Hi, Don Man."

"What's wrong?" Don asked immediately picking up on her mood.

Meryl pulled her hair back. "Do you notice anything different about me?"

"You look tired." Don noted; but nothing else was different. Why wouldn't she look tired? She was auditioning for part after part in addition to raising a 9 year old, 6 year old and a 3 year old.

Meryl threw the tea towel onto the counter. "Well, thanks alot Don. That makes me feel so much better."

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a mood? Is this about your birthday?" Don asked thinking that every time he mentioned her upcoming 40th she got like this. This mood was similar to how she had been lately. He didn't know if it was her 40th birthday coming up or if it was the lack of parts and the fakeness of living in LA getting to her.

Meryl sighed as she walked into the dining room to set the table, with her husband following as he wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on. "NO, DON, it's not. And while we're on the subject, turning 40 for me isn't as easy as it was for you. We moved out here so I can work; well, I'm not getting work. I get ridiculed for what I wear when I take our children to school. If we don't go to at least one party a week then I'm labeled a northeast snob. Not to mention these damn wrinkles that have popped up throughout the day."

"Who cares? Who cares what other people think? Those stupid directors are blind if they can't see how hot and sexy you are.You are absolutely beautiful." Don said with a smile. "You don't see me complaining about my crow's feet."

Meryl shook her head. "You aren't at risk of losing work because you age-I AM! You have no idea how hard it is!"

"I don't have to worry about arthritis in my hands? Or other things that can happen that would cause me not to be able to sculpt or paint anymore?" Don was mad; he was tired of this. She wasn't like this as much when they lived in Manhattan or Salisbury; but now that they were in LA it seemed like she was all consumed with how she looked. "I don't know why, but you seem to want to pick a fight with me lately. In fact you do this every time you don't get a role. Well, if this is what life in California is like then I don't want to live here anymore. You decide what you want; a family or a career and then let me know. But I'm done being used as a damn punching bag instead of the plastics in this town that deserve it."

Meryl knew she had been taking things out on him, and now regretted it. She was just feeling low and wanted him to reassure her like he always did. "Don, I'm..."

"I'm going out for a bit; don't wait up." Don said as he stormed out.

***

Meryl sat down at the dining room table and buried her head in her hands; feeling like a complete shit. She shouldn't have taken things out on him, but she had, and now she felt awful. Of course movies weren't the end all and be all in her life. It's just since moving out there she had become insecure: insecure in her career, in her role as mother, and insecure as an artist's wife. Meryl finished cooking dinner for her children, hoping Don came back soon so she could talk to him. She had tried to keep her insecurities to herself, but she now knew she needed to confide, fully, in her husband.