Chapter 10: What An Ordeal

Insomnia quickly set in. After about half-an-hour of gently trying to find a comfortable sleeping position, the covers felt uncomfortable.

I got up, and sat slumped on the edge of the bed for another five minutes, almost motionless. I could not stop thinking about what that shitshow earlier. I'd have had an easier time believing that I was sitting on my bed because I was pulled out of bed by a malevolent spirit, than because I came home from having coffee with infidelity.

My eyes widened slightly at the remembrance of Aya's lone walk home. I would only be able to know if she was safe the following morning. Calling her was far too risky. Or was it? The broken down car alibi could easily be repurposed. I mean, Davie could need checking on, too. I quickly brushed off the idea. The lies would just pile up. Good ol' Davie would probably end up having to be an accomplice. Also, things were getting out of control as it was.

I glanced at my wife, peacefully still under the covers. I wondered if she was awake or just pretending to be asleep. But in the next second, I didn't care.

I wondered if she had done the same with that Norman guy. Maybe even more? I balled my fist at the thought of him. I have never been confrontational, but I thought if there was someone I could let out all that pent up rage on, he was an ideal candidate.

It scared me, a little, to realise how difficult it would be for me to tell if she was sleeping around behind my back. She'd hardly emoted significantly for the last several years, unless when we had guests over or something. There was barely any change in behaviour to point out. I had never known her to be a liar, but then I had not asked any questions. Surely, there had to be a way to get her talking. Even without words, for goodness' sake.

Fall Out Boy lyrics suddenly came to mind, a fitting expression of that night's fiasco. For a couple of minutes, I found myself fixating on trying to remember the title to the song. 'Oh, right' I thought to myself, 'Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Ba- '.

She fidgeted.

'Hey.' She whispered, in a slightly crackly voice, before clearing her throat, which served as calming evidence of her slumber.

'Hey.' I responded, passively imitating her sleepy-voice.

'Could you please make sure the door's locked?'

'Oh. Yeah sure.'

There's the confliction again. This time it was relief and frustration.

My first thought was to check if my Son was home. He was. Don't know how, but he was in his room.

I stood quietly with my body halfway through the doorway, for a couple of seconds.

'Hey Dad, what's up?' Looking up from his bed.

'Hey kiddo, nothing just checking if you're around.'

'Oh okay.'

'Well, goodnight.'

'Goodnight paps.'

Halfway down the dim hallway, on my way to check on the front door, I paused at a picture of my family on the wall. The lack of light didn't stop me from being able to see it clear as day. I shut my eyes and let out a brief sigh.

'Well, I saw you!' He suddenly said loudly from his room.

I opened my eyes widely, hurriedly paced back to his door, and poked my head inside.

'What?' I asked, in a slight panic.

'Huh?' He looked at me, quizzically. Taking off one of his earbuds.

'What did you say?' I asked, trying to sound as composed as I could possibly be.

'Oh. I was singing. I said 'When I saw you...'', it's lyrics from a song I like.'

'Oh... ok- okay cool.' I gulped involuntarily, as I loosely pulled his door and walked back down the hallway. Glancing at the picture one more time as I walked past it.

Turns out the door wasn't locked. 'Wouldn't be a surprise if we got robbed.' I whispered to myself. ''Cause it seems I've been running on Kennedy luck, lately'.

I chortled, and made my way to the back door. It was locked. It was always locked. But I always checked anyway. I grabbed a cupcake from the fridge, and ate it in two bites on my way back to the master bedroom.

'Ha! I know why you came home late.' I heard my Son say loudly as I walked past his room.

I frantically opened his door, and swung it as I stepped in. Suddenly in a light sweat.

'Dad, do you mind? Kinda need some privacy here.' He said, with a concerned look on his face. 'I'm recording a voicenote.'

'Oh yeah, right... sorry.'

I shut his door slowly and quietly, for some reason, and paused right outside it to take a breath.

'You and that woman from work are having an affair!' He yelled.

I rushed back into his room, with what was now just irritation, and significant moisture at the back of my neck. 'Are we really doin' this? 'ca- 'cause I'm really tired, and I haven't even eaten supp- '.

'Oh sorry Dad, am I being too loud? I'm sorry. I just really like this show. I can't help but vocalise my thoughts when I watch it. I'll quiet down.'

I ingurgitated again, and took a couple of seconds to calm my voice. 'Yeah... okay thanks. I appreciate it. Good show, that.'

'Yeah it is, huh?'

'Anyway, sleep tight' I said with an exhalation. I tossed the crumpled up ramekin I had in what was now a sweaty balled up fist, into his paperbin. And walked out.

'You too, Dad.' His voice quickly muted by the closed door.

'The fuck was that?' I whispered to myself, wiping the what had become a thin layer of sweat on my forehead, with my cupcake hand. Dousing my face with a faint scent of vanilla.

I made a quick detour to my Daughter's room. The glow of the slowly changing lights from the bottom of her door told me she was around. She recently got LED strips, which she had me help install in her room. The faint sound of sappy indie music, which I could hear by placing my ear really close to her door, confirmed her presence. She was a loner, and didn't talk much around the house. A lot like her mother in a way, but at least SHE didn't drive me insane with confliction.

Back in the master bedroom, I found my wife fast asleep, she WAS really peaceful. I got in bed, didn't even feel hungry anymore. No thanks to that cupcake.

'So much for breaking her.' I thought to myself, and my eyelids suddenly weighed a tonne.