Love Is Full Of Surprises

Chapter 7

The next morning Don reached for his wife but found she wasn't there. He heard the shower in the bathroom running, so he knew where she was. Since he was the oldest in the family, his bedroom had a bathroom in it. He thought that might come in handy if he and Meryl were unable to get any privacy during their stay at his parents. He got out of bed and threw some sweatpants on over his boxers and went to find his father so they could have a little talk. Don looked at the time and knew his mother was already at church, and James never went, so Don knew he would have a little while to talk to him alone while Meryl was getting ready for the day. Don smoothed his hair down and headed downstairs to find his father.

***

Don walked into his father's study and saw him drinking coffee and reading the paper.

"Dad, we need to talk." Don said entering the study.

James slowly lowered the paper to look at his son. "Not now, Donald, I'm busy." He said quickly bring the paper back up.

"No, now. I need to talk, and you are going to listen." Don said enraging James.

"I am your FATHER." James boomed throwing down the paper and standing up. "You do not speak to me like that, I demand your respect."

"Kind of like how you showed my wife respect last night?" Don said. His knees were shaking, he had only stood up to his father one other time and that was at his and Meryl's wedding brunch. This was for Meryl, he was going to keep going.

"Please, is that what this is about?" James asked trying to brush it off.

"You're damned straight it is. Why should I treat you with respect when you treat my wife like shit? You don't even know her, you haven't tried to get to know her. You said that she she had provoked getting slapped by that SOB. No woman deserves that." Don said.

"Maybe not, but you sure as hell fucking do!" James boomed.

"Excuse me?" Don asked.

"You are walking around here like you are some hot shot New Yorker. Nothing is further from the truth." James said walking close to his son. "You are just a plain Hoosier, you won't ever amount to anything. You think your clay figurines are going to support you? Do you actually think you will be enough for Meryl? Come on, look at her. She was raised differently than you, she is completely out of your league. It won't be long until she wakes up and realizes you are completely worthless and leaves you for Robert Redford or someone." James said his face mere inches away from Don's.

"Shut the FUCK up!" Don said.

That was it, James' breaking point. He pushed Don up against the wall, hard. "No, you listen Donald!" He yelled. "You will NOT speak to me like that. You better get your p's and q's in order and remember where you have come from and start showing me respect." James said walking away.

Don was shaking, but he couldn't let his father see. He quickly made his way upstairs.

***

Don sat on his bed shaking, and thinking. What if his father was right? What if he failed as an artist? What if he failed as a husband? Maybe he couldn't offer Meryl everything she deserved. He couldn't imagine her running off with someone else, but maybe she would if that person offered her more than he could. He felt like a complete failure. He went downstairs to stand up for his wife, when all he did was running out of the room with his tail between his legs. His father was right, he was a failure, he couldn't even defend the person he loved most in the world without being scared. How was he going to face her? How was he going to make her happy? All of these thoughts and self doubts kept running through his mind.