Safe Zone

{Matt’s Point of View}

Val, River, Cash and I all sat on the living room sectional while Paw Patrol entertained us early this Saturday morning. My mind was honestly not even on the rescuing pups, but on the fact I never told Katy anything before I left. I just left. With no explanation. With no apologies. With no regards for her. And it haunted me all night in my dreams.

See my plan at first was to come home and tell Val I was leaving her for Katy. But she was laying in our bed reading our boys a story. And my heart crushed, I would miss things like this because Val would try and keep them from me. So I heeded to Roy’s words and chose my kids. Not Val. Not Katy. But River and Cash.

Val and I fought for the first few hours once the boys went to bed. She cried, and threatened to leave. But I explained a well thought out lie, that seemed like it connected enough for her to believe me.

We had marriage counsel sessions every Tuesday and Thursday now. And a five-point conversation every night to help us communicate better, courtesy of Dr. Schnell. To be transparent, I thought it was a crock full of crap.

But I had River and Cash.



“Daddy! Watch!” River shouted from his playhouse that Brian and I just finished installing.

“Woah! River be careful bud,” I smiled, drinking a sip from my drink. He definitely had my wild side, and that scared me.

“So how is everything?” Brian asked sitting down next to me grabbing a drink from the small outdoor fridge.

“Swell,” I sighed.

“Sounds fun,” Brian laughed.

“River, stop. Or we’re going inside. For real, dude!” River looked over and grinned not minding me as he jumped from the higher step to the lower step.

“I fine, daddy!” River shouted back, trying to reassure me that he knows what he’s doing.

“I think Cash Money likes the box more than he likes the play thing. Oh crap!” Brian began but we both jumped up as River fell from the top of the playground to the ground screaming.



River and I sat in a white room, him sitting on my lap passed out from the medicine they were pumping through his tiny body so he couldn’t feel his broken arm. The pediatrician was supposed to be on his way, since it was so late they had to call an on-call one because another was in emergency surgery.

We were in Katy’s hospital, and she must have not been working because we didn’t run into her on our way in. But it is a large hospital.

Brian stayed at the house with Cash, while Val and Michelle were still driving home from their business trip in Los Angelos.

There was a knock on the door, “Come in.”

Katy came walking in startling me, “Oh my goodness. I was walking by and saw his name on the nurse’s station board. Poor baby,” I was still at a loss for words as she grabbed his chart from the pocket by the door reading over it. She didn’t look any different from the last two weeks that I had seen her laying in the hospital bed. Katy turned around to place his chart back and I notice she still had the staples in her head.

“He broke his arm,” I stated, “Fell from his new playground.”

“Oh man,” she frowned, “Need me to get anything while I’m down here? Blanket it for River? Or a pillow so you can lay back?” Katy must have been in work mode because she was acting like nothing had ever happened between the two of us. That I didn’t leave her stranded at the hospital with her crazy family.

“Maybe a blanket,” I answered, still dumbfounded.

“Okay, I’ll be right back with one.” She smiled and walked out of the room leaving the door open, signaling she would be back quick.

She did as she said she would, “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” I wanted to ask her questions. Apologize, something. But she seemed to be doing fine so why reopen a wound?

“Well I hope River gets well real soon. Dr. Travis should be in here any minute he was just checking in with the nurses when I went out,” She smiled and turned around towards the door. It seemed like she hesitated but she turned the knob and walked out.



Val and I both now sat in the hospital because Dr. Travis came and did another x-ray determining that River would need surgery to set a bone so it would grow right. Val was furious to say the least. So there were no word exchanges between the two of us.

It was nearing six in the morning and I needed to go for a walk to wake up a little bit. Maybe get some food before River went into surgery at seven.

Slowly I walked through the hospital and to the elevators. The cafeteria was nearby and you could smell the food. The window you had to walk by to get to the entrance, showed several employees and family members of patients eating together. So, of course, I scanned. Katy sat at a booth alone. This was my chance.

The line wasn’t too awful long but long enough to make me regret my decision. Katy still hadn’t recognized me which was good because I wanted to kind of catch her off guard.

Once I made my way to the cashier, I paid and then got my random condiments and a fork. I was half way to her when I noticed Brett in his uniform sit down in front of her. Quickly, I turned back towards the condiments bar, glancing ever so often, while pretending to get things.

Brett had a large smile on his face, Katy did too. Brett’s hand was placed over Katy’s. They laughed at something and Brett noticed me as he leaned back. He must’ve not said anything to Katy because she just kept on with her conversation while he, I’m sure, pretended to be interested.

Why would she be back with him? I mean it was none of my business after I ran out of her room leaving her emotionally hanging. I knew I would run into her but I just didn’t know it would be this painful.