A Furious Chick

False Hope

Brian

"Katherine?" I knocked on her door and went into her office.

"I didn't invite you in." She muttered behind the desk.

"Shut up." I waved my hand and closed it behind me. "Just got back from taking Brooke to her gymnastics orientation. She was so upset that she couldn't swing around on the bars and stuff."

"Well, when is her class starting?"

"In a few days." I sat down.

"She'll be fine." Katherine was writing something.

"Ruby has her orientation for ice skating tomorrow at twelve."

"We gotta find an activity for Quinn." Katherine didn't seem interested. "Or else she'll feel unloved."

"Would you mind pausing whatever you're doing and try to at least make an effort to care about what's going on in our daughters development?"

She sighed and dropped her pen. She looked at me. It was an annoyed look.

"I get it that you're going through hell right now, love. But you still have responsibilities as a mother. They come before anything."

"Here we go again with this bullshit." She hit the table. "That is not fair, Brian. I am a great mother and I love my children."

"Show them some emotional support."

"Because I am busy and you barge in undivided, I'm not emotionally there for my children?"

"Whatever. I'm not arguing. You need to-"

"Need to what?" Her eyes went cold and her jaw clenched. My heart started racing.

"Come to terms with your feelings and strive to get past this obstacle that is holding you down." I said slowly. "Nobody wouldn't have wanted you to be putting yourself through pain."

"He went through pain for months by himself. None of us saw the change in him. Not even me. And I'm his go to." She threw her hands up. "And I had to put him down as if he was a dog because he begged me to. I took his life, Brian. There's a way to things. There's an order. You're born, you live and learn and one day you die. He was supposed to die from his own DNA but I killed him. Me! So shut the fuck up. You don't know what it feels like to lose someone that close!"

"I don't know what it feels like?" I squinted at her. "I lost you, Katherine. Almost lost our children. Three human beings that we conceived and made an oath to protect. I almost lost Dom, Kaleb...and you aren't the only one that loved Nobody."

"Key word...almost. And you didn't lose me, Brian. I am right here!"

"Stop screaming, would you?" I was getting a headache. "One, it doesn't matter if it was almost. The pain and panic that I felt when I witnessed the people closest to me fucking lay lifeless...that is something you never get over. And I did lose you. Lost you for three months and then months that followed with you here...it wasn't you. I'd rather you to be screaming and punching me in the face than the woman who would laugh and smile at dumb shit."

"I'd assume you'd want a sweet and loving wife." She mocked.

"Katherine..." I sighed. "I knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to date you. I came to terms with it when I asked you to marry me. And I accepted it. I made a vow to you to love and honor you. And you are who you are. Obnoxious, annoying, crazy but you're a solid wife and that's rare these days. I know you love me even when you hate my guts. That's all I could ever ask for."

It was quiet for a moment.

"I need you to deal with this, baby." I stood and walked over to her. "I hate seeing you in pain."

"I'm not in pain, Brian." She covered the papers she was writing. "I'm furious. Why must we constantly have bullshit thrown at us? Is this life's way of testing me? Because I've been through hell and back and yet I can't catch a break. It's one thing after another and I'm tired. I'm angry and tired."

I ran my fingers through her hair. "You're going to be okay, honey. I promise."

"Wouldn't promise things that are impossible, Brian. That gives false hope. I'd rather suffer than have false hope."

-Chicken Soup 🍜