Page 81 of The Ex Next Door
“No. But after the other day, I suggested anger management therapy.” She took a big gulp of sweet tea. “And… I think we’re going to also do marriage counseling.”
The news surprised Amy. “I thought you guys were doing well.”
For some time after the divorce, she’d wondered how Bianca and Mark kept their marriage working when they’d been married longer than Amy and Rob had. She’d seen them as the paragon of a healthy sexually dynamic marriage until she’d heard about some of the unhealthy bits not long ago.
Bianca chewed on her lower lip. “Yeah, well, when the only time you have good sex is making up after a bad fight, you need to take a hard look at that.”
“Yeah, that…makes sense.”
“Look who I’m talking to. I bet you two are going at it like rabbits every chance you get.”
“Well, it’s…new.” A hot flush went through Amy.
“I have to make my marriage work. It’s not like I have a hot ex-boyfriend waiting in the wings.”
“Declan wasn’t waiting for me,” Amy protested. “He was dating someone.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Mom, can we have some ice cream sandwiches, please?” said Matthew, surprising both of them.
Bianca took a quick glance at the digital clock. “I guess it won’t spoil your dinner. Sure, but only one.”
“Thanks!” Matthew grabbed two from the freezer and ran back up the steps.
“Did you find any good pitching clinics for Matthew?” Amy asked dutifully.
She understood how important it had become to Bianca and pride in her son’s talents was healthy. They talked baseball and Little League, avoiding talk of marriages, both failed and still hanging in there, until it was time to head home.
On the way, they picked Naomi up at Mom’s. She had with her a little potted fern she’d named “Fern.”
“I picked her out at the garden store,” Naomi said proudly. “Gramma says Fern can live inside in my bedroom. She doesn’t need much sun.”
“That’s dumb,” David said.
It wasn’t until that moment that Amy realized he’d barely said a word to her since he got in the car.
“Why?”
Amy didn’t have to look in the rearview mirror to see Naomi’s lower lip quivering like she was ready to cry. She heard it in her shaky voice.
“David, that’s not a nice thing to say to your sister,” Amy said as they turned into their development.
“Flowers just die. You have to have a green hand to make them live and you don’t have a green hand,” David said.
Amy bit back a laugh. “Actually, that’s just an expression and I think you know it. Plus, it’s greenthumb, not green hand. It’s what we call a metaphor.”
“Whatever,” David said with attitude, but being a twin who did adore his sister, a moment later he patted her shoulder. “It’s a cute plant, though.”
“Thanks,” Naomi said with a sniffle. “I think so, too.”
Obviously, Amy needed to have another talk with her son. Naomi was such a sensitive soul, but particularly tuned in to her brother. His opinion mattered to her. He had to know how invested his sister was in his viewpoint and he’d never been purposely cruel.
Partially, Amy wondered if this new attitude was also part of a rite of passage and David was approaching yet another growth spurt. He did seem too young to have reached thatrebellious hormonal state of preteens, which God help her, wasn’t that far away. A shudder ran through her.
It’s the divorce.
Yes, it probably was the divorce, but Amy also couldn’t fall into the trap of blaming that for everything. Nor could David excuse away bad behavior because his parents were divorcing. Speaking of which, where was her “Parenting: Not for Wimps” T-shirt when she needed it?
