ARAWN
“This is not fair! You can’t treat me like this.” Amanda screams at the top of her lungs, making me close my eyes exhausted.
“Well, why don’t you go ahead and sue me?”
Her theatrical gasp must cost her so much air that I’m surprised she doesn’t faint.
“I hate you!” She screams even louder. “I never want to see you ever again!”
So dramatic.
It has been quite a while and I still struggle to adjust to this ‘love topic’.
All because of that woman.
Fifteen years have passed since I asked Nerthus to be my wife, and claimed she just said yes because of her job.
I might have her punished for this.
But she made me pay severely anyway.
“Well, what a shame that you are stuck with me, isn’t it, Amanda?”
“I hate you! I hate you!”
Groaning, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You keep repeating yourself. We already figured it out that far, didn’t we, my love?”
The shrill scream that she is used to producing during her tantrums risks bursting my eardrums.
Well, my fucking fault for thinking I could spoil her.
“I won’t take this anymore! I’ll leave!”
Spreading my arms, I feel them heavy with exhaustion.
What has become of me?! Nerthus made me a simp.
“And where will you go? Tell me! I can’t wait to hear your strategically constructed plan!”
“I can ask Ron to give me shelter!” She says cockily, tears prickling in her eyes.
I growl, taking a step forward. “Don’t you dare!”
She straightens her spine, sniffing. “Watch me. You can’t stop me, and I’ll hate you for life.”
“We will see about this!” I scoff, and still, my heart breaks seeing her distraught expression.
“I’m sure Ronald will fancy his house being raided by my men.”
Her breath hitches, and more tears well in her eyes. “You are so mean!”
I sigh as she storms out of my office. Passing my hand over my face, I slump back into my chair and take my bourbon out of the bottom drawer of my desk. I guess she is about to stomp up the stairs as the main door opens and closes again.
She still has impeccable timing.
“Mom!” Amanda shouts again, and I hear her footsteps reaching her mother, who just came in through the door.
“Oh, sweetie, what’s wrong?”
Leaning back into my chair, I take a sip from my glass and wait patiently. I can’t hear them speaking anymore and I’m guessing that they went to sit down to talk in another room.
“She even played the asshole-dad card. What happened?” Nerthus stands at the door, looking at me exhausted.
“How was your morning shift?”
She sighs, walking towards me. “Exhausting. But we finished the cakes and everything on time. So, fine.”
I hum, while she comes to stand next to me and leans against the desk. Caressing her leg, I watch her take the glass out of my hand to take a sip as well. “Urgh,” She distorts her face cutely before she talks again. “Would you please answer my question?”
“She wanted to go out with a boy, and I said no. Period.”
“Period.” She chuckles while shaking her head. “What is wrong with this one?”
“His name is Ronald.”
She laughs, throwing her head back. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I’m dead serious.” I can’t help but smirk, and she moves to sit on my lap.
“I used to do way worse when I was her age.”
Distorting my face, I shake my head. “Yeah, and I had a lot of work to clean up after that mess. That wasn’t your fault, babe.”
My heart flutters as she laughs again. “I know. But we brought her up quite well and Amanda has a great respect for herself. She will do fine. Even with a Ronald.” She chuckles, laying her hand on my chest. “Also, if it’s that Ronald who I think he is, he is a great catch. His parents are crazy rich.”
I groan, wrapping my arms around her. “Like we are. We don’t need anybody else’s money.”
“Come on. Let me take them to the movies. I’m sure they will be fine.”
Sneering, I ponder over it a bit but get distracted by Nerthus blinking her puppy dog eyes at me. “Okay, fine. But if anything happens, I’m going after that boy.”
I hear a small ‘yes’ from behind the door and smile broadly as Nerthus kisses me. “Of course you are, big boy.”
We jump as the entrance door is opened and shut close with a bang. Nerthus turns around as we hear steps assaulting the stairs. “Nathan! Don’t make a mess. Pick that up!”
The steps halt for a moment before we hear our son move the stairs down hastily before climbing them up again. She rolls her eyes as she turns back around, and I chuckle.
“Tell me it’s just a phase,” I whisper, making her smile.
“Let’s hope so.”
***
“Will you take us tomorrow?” Amanda asks Nerthus excitedly as she is tugging her in.
“No, baby. There is school the day after tomorrow. But you can ask him if he is free on Saturday, and I’ll take you then.”
“Okay. Thank you, mom.”
I hear Nerthus cover her in smooches as she giggles. “You are very welcome.”
I sigh quietly as I’m leaning against the door in the hallway, listening to the interaction between my wife and my daughter. Scratching the “NR” tattoo on my chest, hidden below my shirt instinctively, a smile grows on my lips. I can hear the distant shooting noises that must come from Nathan’s game as he usually gets online to play with Danny and close my eyes, thinking about how I deserved my life to turn this happily.
“Will you please tell your Dad that you don’t really hate him tomorrow? He knows that you didn’t mean it, but there is no need to make him suffer like this. Okay, baby?”
I hear rustling and suppose that Nerthus must have gotten up.
“Okay, Mom. Good night. I love you.”
The clicking of the light switch resounds before Nerthus’s response.
“I love you too, baby girl. Good night.”
THE END