Jenny was struggling. She hardly ever saw her son and it was making her crazy. Mark was a stranger to her now, and she couldn't name any friends she talked to. She didn't have time for anything other than work, sleep, and scheduling doctor appointments for both her and Zachary. Jenny had finally seen a doctor and began treatment for stress-induced insomnia, anxiety, and depression. She was so proud of herself for making money, but soon the money became the problem. Jenny did not approve of marijuana usage, but if that's what Mark wanted, then he could do it on his own time, away from her home, and with his own money. Since Zachary’s birth he had only worked a total of 3 months. She gave Mark money every payday to cover his cigarettes and fast-food while she was at work throughout the week. Even with that, Mark was greedy. He stole money from his wife's purse to pay for his drug habit. Jenny was furious when she heard it from her mother. "How dare he!" she fumed! Not only had he stole the money, he had gone to her mother's house to brag about it like an idiot! Zachary was still asleep when she got back home from her mom's.
Jenny usually went to visit her mom while Mark and Zach slept early in the mornings. She gathered some of her son's things and took him to her mom's. She called Mark's mom and asked if he could come stay at her house for a while because things were bad. When Jenny returned home after dropping Zachary off, she awoke her husband with a short, "Get up." and left the room. When Mark was dressed, he met her in the living room. Jenny sat at the kitchen table while he put his shoes on. He looked up and asked her "Are we going out to eat?" Her heart dropped. She just wished he wouldn't screw things up like this! She loved him so much, but she couldn't allow herself to keep getting hurt. In her alternate reality, she looked at her husband and said "Yes, baby, let's go have a family breakfast." Unfortunately, she wasn't in that reality and she couldn't say that. "You have one hour to pack your things and call your mom to pick you up." she said coldly. He asked why and she told him what she knew. He got angry with her and started to yell, saying that if she wanted the money he would pay her back. "It's not about the damn money, Mark! It's about you stealing from me! I'm your wife for god's sake!" Jenny was so angry. She was angry for right then and there, she was angry for all the times in the past, and she was angry with herself because she couldn't fix it all.
Jenny wasn't sure if she wanted a temporary or permanent separation, but she knew she needed to be away from him now before she ended up hating him. Mark refused to leave which only angered Jenny more. That wasn't the plan. They made a plan and he wouldn't follow it. They agreed that if she asked him to go, he would go, calmly and civilly. Since he would not leave, she decided she would. She contemplated what she was doing while she gathered some clothes. Her thoughts were mainly about their son. She knew she was going to go stay a few nights with her sister, Mandy, but Zach couldn't stay there. There was no room in Mandy's apartment for a baby, and she had a big dog. No, it wasn't going to work. Then she thought about his therapists, and doctor appointments. Jenny didn't have a phone, only Mark did. She decided, with a broken heart as she walked out the door, that she would bring Zachary back home before she went to her sister's apartment. She couldn't call herself a mother if she put her wants before Zachary's needs. He needed to be at home with his things and his therapy equipment. He needed to be as stable as possible through this rough time. Jenny left her son with her husband, and walked out the door, bawling like a baby.
The End
No comments:
Post a Comment