“You did it!” I exclaimed proudly, pulling back to stare at him.
To my surprise and horror, tears began streaming down his face and he let out a wail I hadn’t heard from him since he was a baby. Breaking away from my hold, he took off running, over the pier and up the hill, traversing the massive backyard, all while calling for his mother.
It was then I knew I’d fucked up.
****
Then
Deborah
“He could’ve died!” I screeched for the umpteenth time that night as I tossed Robert’s pillows and a set of blankets in his direction. I was so furious I couldn’t even look at the man.
“He wasn’t in any real danger,” he tried to explain for the millionth time.
But I was not listening to anything he had to say.
“Get out! You are not sleeping in here tonight!” I pulled the door of our bedroom open to let him know I was serious.
“Princ—”
“Don’t you dare!” I yelled. “Donottry to smooth this over by calling me princess. Our baby boy almost drowned out there and you let it happen! How could you?” Blinking, I attempted to dry the tears that threatened to spill over. I was feeling a mix of emotions: fury, fear, sadness, confusion, and more. I’d never felt betrayed by my own husband before, but now …
“Deborah, he was perfectly s—”
“Robert, if you sayonemore word to me, I promise you I am heading to a divorce attorney first thing in the morning, and Carter and I are gone!”
His gaze narrowed on me, the brown in his eyes deepening as he shook his head. This was the first time throughout this entire altercation that Robert actually exerted any anger.
“You are not leaving me.” His voice was ominous but I didn’t care.
“Get out.” I had no more fight in me. I just couldn’t be in his presence any longer that night.
I don’t know what it was, but something made him take note and make the decision that was best for all involved. Slowly, he ambled to the door, pausing only a few inches away from me, staring down at me. Turning my head, I averted my face until he moved passed the threshold of the door.
Only then did I push out the breath I’d been holding on to. I quickly swiped at the lone tear that fell, refusing to release any more.
I paced around our spacious bedroom for a while, arms folded, hating the sight of my bed without my husband in it. It wouldn’t be the first night I slept alone. Robert often had business trips that he needed to make, but he did his best to keep them to a minimal when he couldn’t bring Carter and I.
However, this was different. This was the first time I’d be sleeping alone in our large, sleigh bed while he was still in the same house. Townsend Manor was huge. If he’d chosen a guest room on the other side of the manor, I could go days without even seeing him. However, if I knew my husband, and I was certain I did, he’d gone down to his office to work instead of sleep.
Shaking my head, I pushed those thoughts out. I didn’t want or need to think about him. My concern shouldn’t have been for him. Exiting the bedroom door, I strode down three doors until I reached the room that read “Carter” in big, blue letters. Pushing the door open, I entered, slipping in and closing it gently behind me so that not too much light got in, waking him.
Startled, I gasped when his tiny voice surprised me, instead of the other way around.
“Mother.”
I moved closer, noting the time on the superhero clock on his wall. It was a little after ten o’clock at night.
“Carter, what are you doing awake?” I’d put him to bed nearly two hours ago. And my son wasn’t a light sleeper.
“Are you and Father mad at me?”
I sunk down to the floor next to his bed, running my hand through his soft hair.
“We’re going to have to do something about this bowl cut,” I joked.
Thanks to the superman night light that was plugged in not too far from his bed, I caught the frown that immediately formed.
