It’s that time again–Fiction Friday! Today I have another scene from my current work-in-progress, Chaos Theory. I sent it to alpha readers earlier this week, and I’m already missing it, even though I know the break will do me good! So this will probably be the last Chaos Theory Fiction Friday for a while, as I take a break and work on other projects. It focuses on the main character, Meredith, as she confronts her husband about his workaholic tendencies, after consulting her friend earlier in the chapter. Enjoy!
Later that night, Meredith was washing dishes when Ryan came home. He dropped his bag onto the table with a sigh.
“Long day?” she asked, not looking up from the plate she was loading into the dishwasher.
He walked to the fridge and peered in. “Nothing out of the usual.”
She snorted. She couldn’t help herself. “You got home at eight o’clock.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Meredith saw him turn to look at her. “What does that mean?”
She set down the bowl she had been washing and faced him. “It means I don’t think a ‘usual day’ should mean you getting home at eight, especially when you got into the office at seven.”
Ryan stood in front of the fridge, watching her. “Where is this coming from?”
“It’s coming from someone who loves you,” Meredith said. “And who is sick of being the only one around to deal with dinner, bath time, bedtime, and clean up.” She nodded to the fridge behind him. “Will you close that door? You’re letting the cold air out.”
Ryan slammed it shut a little harder than Meredith thought was necessary. “Do you not like being a stay-at-home mom? Isn’t that what we agreed on?”
Meredith twisted the dishtowel in her hands into a tight knot. “No, actually, it isn’t. Being a stay-at-home mom means you still leave the office at five like everyone else, and you’re here to enjoy dinner and spending time with your kids before they go to bed.”
“I’m just trying to do my job well, Meredith.” She could see the tension rippling through him, and bit her lip.
“I know. But is everyone staying in the office hours after they need to?” Meredith asked.
Ryan took off his glasses to rub his eyes. “It doesn’t matter what other people are doing. It’s about me being the best.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t ‘being the best’ involve comparing yourself to other people?”
He slid his glasses back onto his face and glared at her. “Is it so wrong to want to be the best?”
“When it means sacrificing time with your family, yes, I think it is.” She dropped the dish towel onto the counter. “You’re not going to turn into your dad if you don’t work a sixty hour work week.”
Meredith wanted to regret the words, but she knew he needed to hear them. Still, she saw the shocked look in his face, and stepped forward to comfort him. But he was stony now, and she stopped herself.
“This isn’t about my dad.” His voice was low and gravely. “It’s about wanting to provide for my family.”
In the way that your dad never did, Meredith finished in her head, but she knew better than to say it. Instead, she walked toward him and placed her hand on his arm, feeling the threads of his button-down shirt on her fingertips. “I’m happy you like your job, and I’m happy you want to provide for us. But what we really want is you.”
Ryan laid his hand over hers. She saw his shoulders relax, and felt the tension release from the muscles in his arm. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better.” He leaned forward to kiss her forehead.
She leaned into him, trying to feel relieved. But what she found instead was something more like the brief reprieve of reaching the top of the hill on a roller coaster, before you begin the drop.
Featured image by Vera Arsic