Hollow

4 / Relating

Relationships are odd things. A beast of emotions, they can take myriad forms, each designed to lift you or destroy you on the flip of a coin. They're dogs that are placid and friendly, ready to lick your hand or your cheek for a smile and kind word. And they can want to bite off that hand or chew on that cheek without warning or consideration.

They can be awkward and painful and twisting and empowering and delightful and, while completing you, they can be tearing you apart.

As stormy as my relationship with my mother in law was, the one I had with her husband was entirely different. Edward and I were friends. We would go for drinks. We would watch the football match, even though I disliked footy. He loved the game and, if I couldn't be liked by one of Amanda's parents, I would do what I could to keep the other on side. It made my wife happy and, in turn, made my life that much easier. It also meant I had a spy in the camp. Edward knew what his wife was like. He knew she could be opinionated and spiteful. He admitted that he, at times, didn't know why he loved her so much, but he did.

Edward doted on his daughter, to the point she was often embarrassed by his affection. She was and always would be, his little girl. He could see that I cared for Amanda deeply and we made a good couple, so I had his blessing. If only his wife would follow suit.

Gwen. Bombing me out, then?

I read the text from my father in law with a frown. Usually, there was a 'Hey you' or something similar preceding his messages. They were rarely so brief and accusatory.

What do you mean?

We're meant to be going to the cinema tonight, donkey!

Damn! Edward was my 'cinema buddy' for any movie that contained superheroes or fantastical creatures. Amanda found such films boring and pointless. She preferred intense dramas and thrillers rather than the escapism of stories that could never actually happen. To me, a film was a film. I liked all different genres and it didn't matter how high on the realism scale it scored. I enjoyed it (or not) either way. The latest Marvel film had been out for five days already and I had been desperate to see it. even though it would still be there three weeks later, it didn't matter. I had to see it in the first week. Edward was the same.

Sorry! Amanda's got a case on. She needed to get out.

Don't worry. You prefer her to me. That's fine. I'll go by myself. It's no bother.

He was joking with me, I knew. He'd never think to come between his daughter and me, but I couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. I really did want to see the film. A meal out with the wife was always more inviting, but the film was so hotly anticipated...

No. I'd have to break the habit and see it later in the week or the following week. I could do that.

Hey babe. Your dad just text me. Meant to be going to pics with him. Look at me being double booked! x

Amanda rarely responded immediately. She would notice the notification beep of her phone, but preferred to finish what she was doing rather than jump on it. His could mean driving, eating or watching a two hour film. Plus, she was working and a message from anyone, including me, took second place. After I'd pressed 'send,' I realised she might see it as me trying to get out of my date with her in favour of her father. I wasn't, at least not entirely. I could go out with her any time, but seeing the latest blockbuster movie that everyone was raging about and was filling all my social media feeds, in the first week of release, was something that was a miss it and it's gone kind of thing.

But still, my wife came first, obviously. She was better looking than Edward for a start.

My phone beeped.

I forgot about that, babe. Go with Dad, it's fine. I don't know when I'll be finished here anyway, and I think I'll just want a bath and bed. x

No, it's fine. I'll go another time. x

Don't be silly. You were both looking forward to it. I'll be shit company anyway after this. x

Bad one? x

Like I didn't know?

Not good. You go babe. x

You sure? x

Course. X

Thanks babe. Love you. X

I didn't get a response, but that was fine. If Amanda was working on something important or particularly gruesome, once she'd said what she needed to, she was done. Phones were tools, nothing more. While some people treated their phones like extensions of themselves, surgically attached devices that contained their whole lives, Amanda could take it or leave it. Preferably the latter. Smartphones were a necessary evil and hers had minimal apps to purely get her through her day.

You win. Your butt is better than Amanda's.

Hey, that's my daughter you're talking about! See you at 8:30.

I smiled. I always loved spending time with Amanda, especially when it was just the two of us, but not seeing the film would be breaking with tradition. I'd be pissed off and then it would get to the point where I'd deliberately not see the film because the moment had gone. I'd end up waiting for the Blu-ray to come out and watch it with my arms crossed and my brow furrowed, the petulant child that still dwells within each of us surfacing for a couple of hours to spoil my enjoyment of what I should have been looking forward to. It could stay hidden for a while longer.