Page 43 of Such a Good Couple
Unmistakable disgust stirred through the fury on his face, and Clara’s indignation flared once more.
‘How dare you bring the boys—’
‘How dare I?’ Ollie barked bitterly. ‘You are something else, Clara, do you know that? You couldn’t just come and talk to me. You have to be the main character of every situation. It’s always a drama. You go off and get absolutely plastered with the work crowd—’
‘Jesus, this again? That happened once! Let it go. I have to blow off steam. Being a mother is relentless.’
‘So is being a father. That’s having a family, Clara. And it’s especially hard when your co-parent acts like her family is some big imposition.’
‘I do not. That is so fucking unfair.’ She crossed her arms. ‘You know, you’re pretty checked out at times. Always bet into your phone—’
Ollie rolled his eyes. ‘I work for myself. I have to be responsive. It’s hard work.’
‘I work hard too. I work so fucking hard for our family. At least you get to do a job you actually like.’
‘I’ve never stopped you from changing jobs.’
‘Money stops me from changing jobs, Ollie. Money you’re spending on HardBodies.ie.’
‘You spend money too, Clara. The packages are always arriving. Do you actually need more clothes?’
‘I buy a few bits off Depop here and there, for fuck sake. What about all your sneaking around? Am I really such a bitch that you couldn’t tell me that you’d taken up running? “Oh my horrible wife”.’ She put on a particularly cruel version of Ollie’s voice. ‘“She’s such a weapon, she won’t let me do my marathon.” Making me out to your friend to be some control-freak-wife stereotype.’
‘YoutoldAnnie and Maggie that I was a doormat. Adoormat,’ he spat.
‘I did not.’
She totally did, she remembered the conversation. It was about six months before and she had specificallytoldAnnie to not mention it to Conor.
Ollie was shaking his head. ‘I know you did. Annie told Conor, who told me.’
I will kill Annie, she thought. Although being honest, Clara had told Ollie plenty of things Annie’d said toherabout Conor. What else did people in long-term relationships talk about other than the dreariness of their friends’ long-term relationships?
‘It was acompliment, Ollie. You’re missing key context.’ Clara glared at him. ‘I was saying you’re really good at sex which is surprising cuz you have such a doormat demeanour. That was all.’
‘Fuck. You.’ He pointed at her. ‘I am not up for being treated like a joke by you anymore.’
‘Ugh, you are being such a little bitch about this.’ Clara stalked to the bedroom door. ‘Can you just cop on so we can get back to the holiday?’
‘No, Clara.’ His voice was steely.
She ignored this and pulled open the door. ‘I’m going to get the boys up.’
‘The kids are already up and down at breakfast. If you’d cared to check, you’d know this.’
Clara felt the dam that had barely been shoring up her anger break. Her drive to make peace evaporated in an instant and she screamed the next words, not giving a shit who heard.
‘Stop acting like I’m some neglectful, part-time mother. I do everything for this family.’
‘So do I,’ Ollie screamed back.
‘What about when you’re sneaking off to do four-hour runs?’
‘You mean my training runs that I’ve been doing in thedead of nightso as not to disappear from doing my bit of the parenting? And sometimes your bit of the parenting too when you go off to Annie’s for “a couple of wines” and then end up sleeping on their couch.’
‘Don’t be sosanctimonious.’ Clara threw the word like a punch. ‘After women have kids, all their hobbies are housebound hobbies likeknittingandonline yoga challenges. Shit that they can do with kids stepping on their faces. After men have kids, you know what they do? They take up golf and running and cycling. Every sport that requires a minimum of six hours out of the house.’
‘You’re such an exaggerator,’ Ollie scoffed. ‘I’m trying to have one thing to keep my mental health from disintegrating. You know what I hate about you, Clara? You’re so self-obsessed. You can only see how this is affecting you. As always,’ he finished,exhaling roughly through flared nostrils.
