A Twist in My Story

Kevin flung his arm over his eyes to block the sun that shone through the window onto his face. With a groan he came back to consciousness, remembering the bomb Dani had dropped on him last night. She couldn’t possibly be pregnant. They hadn’t been intimate with each other since…since before the move. But she said she had 6 months left so that would make her 3 months now which would mean she got pregnant in…shit, he needed coffee. Then he needed to talk with his wife.

He sat up and groaned at the sight of his wrinkly work pants. He wanted a good hot shower and to get out of his work clothes. As he stood his hand crinkled a piece of paper. He frowned and picked it up. His contacts irritated his eyes a little bit but he just blinked a few times and read the note.

Kevin,
You are reading this note because I’m gone. I had to leave. Whether you know it or not you are killing me with the attitude you have adopted as of late. You aren’t the same Kevin I married anymore. You work all the time and barely acknowledge me. I can’t live like that anymore. Last night was the last straw. I’m staying with my parents at their house in Cape May, New Jersey. I’ll be here until circumstances change. I will miss you so much, but my return is up to you. You have to choose: me and our family or your work. When you decide, call me. I’ll be waiting.

Love you always,
Dani

P.S. The baby is due February 14th – Valentines’ Day.

Kevin read the note again and then a third time trying to comprehend the words on the page. He scoffed at the idea of Dani leaving him and figured this was just a joke to scare him. But in the back of his mind a little voice told him Dani wasn’t a joker like this. In fact she rarely pulled any jokes. He gripped the note in his hand, wrinkling it slightly some more, and decided to check their bedroom.

On first glance he noticed there was no sign of Dani in the bedroom or bathroom and the bed was made. Dani always made the bed. A quick look through her side of the closet and her dresser told him she’d packed her essential needs. Even her shower stuff was gone. Kevin’s anger level steadily rose as he came out of his denial. He walked downstairs checking every room along the way in case she happened to be in one of them. No luck. In the kitchen there were the dishes left over from the spoiled dinner, but he paid no mind to them. He just trod through on his way to the door to go outside.

Sticking his head out the door he saw Dani’s car was gone. His foot stepped on the paper that sat on the doorstep; one last thing Dani did for him before leaving. Pissed beyond words and way past denial he yanked his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his wife’s number. After five rings it went to voicemail.

“Hey! You’ve reached Dani. I can’t answer right now but leave your name, number, and message and I’ll get back to you soon.”

Kevin ended the call with a jab to the ‘End’ button and redialed. This time it went to voicemail after three rings. He hung up without leaving a message again. Hitting redial for a second time it went straight to voicemail, meaning Dani had turned off her phone. Kevin literally growled in anger as he listened to her message before leaving one of his own.

“What the hell are you doing, Dani? You’re leaving me because I didn’t come home for dinner? That’s ridiculous and childish. Come home and we’ll talk it out. I can adjust my work schedule so we can have more time together if you want. And I have questions about…about the baby. Come home. I’ll be here all day,” he said in a hurried message, trying to control his anger. An afterthought struck him and he called her back to leave another message. “I forgot to tell you I love you so…I love you, Dani. Bye.”

He rubbed his eyes which by now were really itching. He dropped his phone on the hall table and trudged back upstairs to freshen up, foregoing the coffee. His shirt was unbuttoned by the time he reached his room and everything else was shed not long after. With his contacts out and the water the right temperature, Kevin stepped into the shower and willed the tension out of his muscles.

He stood under the spray letting it directly hit his face. How in the world had he gotten into this mess? Everything was going fine. They were finally all settled into their house, they were happy (or so he thought), and his job was going great with that deal being signed; everything was perfect. Dani was mistaken when she said he ignored her. He never ignored her; just sometimes work weighed on his mind until he resolved it. No big deal there. Dani understood that. It had always been that way to Kevin’s recollection. And then this talk about a baby? That was the kink in the chain. No doubt was he happy about the news, but they hadn’t even talked about having kids yet. Besides, to his knowledge, Dani was on the pill. They weren’t ready for kids. They still needed adjustment to being married and living on their own. It hadn’t even been 2 years yet that they were married.

Sighing he dragged himself out of the shower and took a towel to his damp hair and body. Once he was dressed again he headed to his office to get some work done while he waited for Dani to call and come home.

After three hours of mind-numbing contract reviewing he set his papers aside and leaned back in his chair. Still no word from Dani and she was all he could think about. He’d be lucky if he could remember one thing he’d just spent hours reading. Looking longingly at his phone he caved and picked it up. His parents would know what to tell him. He waited two rings before Frankie answered.

“Hey Frankie. How’s life at home?” Kevin asked his baby brother.

“Quiet. Nick’s off at college. Joe ran away. Dad’s in his office. And Mom won’t stop baking,” Frankie answered.

“Ah cool,” Kevin responded not really listening. “Can I talk to Mom?” He waited while Frankie yelled to their mom that he was on the phone.

“Hello Kevin honey, how are you? It’s so good to hear from you,” Denise got on the phone.

“Kevin? Son, is that you?” Kevin Sr. got on the phone in his office.

“Uh yeah it’s me. How are you guys?”

“Oh your brother Joseph just decided to play a disappearing act because he is immature,” Kevin Sr. responded with contempt. “He’s running from reality so I’m stuck with the task of covering his ass with your bosses. It was such a good job I got him too.”

“Kevin, stop it. You made him leave with your pushing. He was fine doing what he wanted,” Denise said.

“He was mooching,” Kevin Sr. retorted.

“You pushed him too far and now he’s run…run away,” Denise bit back a sob.

Kevin just listened to his parents’ conversation only taking half of it in. “Dani left me,” he dropped the bomb.

“What?”

“She left you? Why?”

“I was supposed to be home for dinner last night but the bosses took me out instead. She got all pissed, told me she was pregnant, and locked herself in our room. When I woke up this morning she was gone and left me a note telling me to choose my work or my family,” he explained.

“Oh my gosh. She’s pregnant?” Denise said.

“Yeah.”

“Seems childish to give you this ultimatum. You have to work. I say go about your work and she’ll come around,” Kevin Sr. advised.

“No, you call her back and talk with her. You two need to work this out,” Denise counter-advised.

“Denise, he has to work. He can’t just drop his responsibilities because his wife is a little needy right now.”

“A little needy? Kevin, she’s pregnant and our son needs to be there for her.”

“I tried calling her but she didn’t answer so I left her a voicemail,” Kevin inserted.

“Well then it’s up to her to call you now. You’ve done all you can,” his dad said matter-of-factly.

“Kevin! I cannot believe you just said that. He most certainly has to keep calling her. She needs him,” Denise said impassioned.

“She needs time to herself to get her head back on straight,” Kevin Sr. said. “So what are you working on?”

Denise groaned in frustration. “You’re impossible!” Then she hung up.

Kevin was speechless. Things at home were definitely not going great. And this talk had him all the more confused.

“So, Kev, your work? Got any good ones?” Kevin Sr. pressed.

“Um actually, Dad, I should get back to it and keep the line open for Dani. I’ll call again soon. Tell Mom I say bye,” Kevin said before hanging up and popping an Advil.

A few more hours of perusing contracts with half-ass ability he put it all down and left his office. Pacing the house he called Dani again.

“Dani, I don’t understand this. Why are you acting this way? Just come home and we’ll talk. Love you. Call me.”

He picked up their wedding photo off the mantel and stared at it. Their wedding day was so magical. He traced Dani’s face and figure with his thumb before forcing himself to put it down. He wasn’t going to completely cave to her like he always did. Not this time. Stiffening his back he walked to the kitchen to find something to eat for dinner.

* * * * * * *

Dani pulled into her parents’ driveway and shut her car off. She took a few deep breaths, checked her appearance in her rearview mirror – not too visible puffy eyes and very little splotches left – then she exited her car. She’d been trying to think what to tell her parents but every time she thought about it she started to cry. She didn’t want to leave Kevin but she didn’t know what else to do that would get his attention. Her phone beeped with voicemails but she refused to listen to them while she drove. She knew they were from Kevin and she dreaded what his messages might say. Partly she was afraid that she would cave to him because that’s what she always seemed to do when it involved him.

Hefting her suitcase out of her trunk she walked up the entranceway and knocked on the door. Deep breathing was the only thing keeping her from falling over in a faint.

“Dani sweetie, what a pleasant surprise. You just missed lunch but I can make you something if you like,” her mother Angie offered as she let her in.

“No thanks, Mom. I had something this morning and I don’t much feel like eating right now,” Dani managed a small smile for her mother.

“Well the offer stands if you change your mind,” Angie enveloped her middle daughter in a hug. “To what do we owe this visit? Are you staying long?”

Dani sniffled and took a deep breath. “I don’t know how long I’m staying. I…I left Kevin.”

“What? Sweetie, talk to me. I know you two are high school sweethearts but if he did something to you, you know your father and brother won’t stand for that,” Angie looked her over for bruises.

Dani brushed her off, a little angry that her mom would think Kevin would hurt her like that. “No, Mom, nothing like that. I just…I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“Okay, sweetie. Why don’t you go up to your room and lay down? Come down when you’re up to it. Dina and her husband are coming for dinner,” Angie smoothed Dani’s hair and kissed her cheek in a motherly fashion.

Dani thanked her and took her suitcase upstairs. She settled on her bed and accessed her voicemail. She listened to Kevin’s first message and it nearly broke her heart. He sounded so angry and not like her Kevin. His second message crushed her heart the rest of the way. He had forgotten to tell her he loved her in the first message. It was an afterthought to him. How could his love for her be second in his life? That was why she had to get away, even if it was killing her to be away from him.

She held her phone to her chest as tears leaked out of her eyes. She didn’t know when her marriage had turned into this…this mess. She wanted her Kevin back; the one who would cuddle with her and tell her sweet-nothings in bed as he held her close to him. But she wasn’t sure if she could. So much was changing and she didn’t know if Kevin wanted to change anything.

As she cried to herself her phone vibrated in her hand. ‘Kevin’ flashed across her screen. She considered answering it but didn’t want to fight with him and she knew in the mood he was in by the first message they’d fight. The phone beeped with a missed call, but no voicemail. Dani sucked back a sob and cradled the phone to her chest. Her right hand protectively rested over her abdomen as she rubbed it, trying to feel closer to her baby, her only companion right now. Dani curled into a ball, keeping her hand on her belly, feeling like there was a hole in her heart.