Chapter 26

 

 

 

“I think it’s really over, Kalina,” Calista said, holding a fresh cup of coffee. She took a sip.

“Why?”

“Because he’s not himself anymore. I talked to him last night.”

“Okay, and what happened?”

“The man I was on the phone with last night, briefly might I add, is not the man I married. He’s insolent…we can’t talk without arguing. I can’t handle that.”

“People handle stress in different ways. Bryson tells me Barringer has always been an overachiever.”

Calista nodded. “He has. He likes a certain lifestyle, you know.”

“Then he must be under a lot of stress right now.”

“I’m sure he is, but that’s no reason to throw things at me and think I should be okay with it.”

Kalina frowned.

“I don’t mean literally throw things at me, Kalina.” Calista grinned.

“Oh. Shrew. You had me worried for a minute there.”

“Barry would never hurt me, physically that is. What I mean is, he gives me things, hoping they will somehow compensate for him not being there for me. The first two years of our marriage, I thought it was his way of being generous and appreciative, you know, trying to be a good husband. Later, I realized I didn’t have a husband. He was always gone.”

Calista took a sip of coffee.

“Last night, he asked me where we go from here, and honestly, Kalina, I didn’t know what to tell him. I feel like, if I move back home, everything will go right back to the way it was, and I don’t want that anymore.”

“What do you want?”

“I want a family man…a man who values his wife more than he does his work.”

“But let’s look at this realistically, Cali. A man has to work to take care of his family.”

Calista nodded. “True. I definitely didn’t want a non-working man, but when a man is more dedicated to his job than he is to his family, that’s a problem. Look at you and Bryson. He owns a business. You own a business. Yet, you guys are happy. You make time for each other. I doubt if Bryson spends his nights at the office.”

Kalina smiled. “No, he does not.”

“Exactly,” Calista said. “He makes time for you because he values you. Barringer doesn’t value me. If he did, he would’ve told me he was sterile before we married, right?”

“Maybe, but men are some prideful individuals. It has to be doing a number on him to know that the one thing you want, he can’t give you. So in my mind, I’m thinking he has the right to ask you where the relationship is going, simply because the ball is in your court, sweetie.”

“How’s that?”

Kalina set her cup down in front of her and said, “Now that you know he can’t have children, are you willing to love him anyway?”

Calista nodded, eyes flooded with tears. “Yes. Better or worse, right?”

Calista placed her cup on the table before quickly hiding her face with her hands.

“Oh, Cali, don’t cry,” Kalina said, standing up and pulling a chair next to Calista. She sat down, threw an arm around her. “It’s going to be okay. Issues like this take a little more time to iron out, but it’s going to be okay.”

Calista’s hands trembled as she cried. She moved them away from her face, then took a napkin to dab the corners of her eyes. “All I ever wanted was a simple, normal life. I don’t ask for much. I hardly ask for anything.” She sniffled, dabbed her nose. “I don’t know what to do, Kalina.”

“Well, first, you need to calm down a bit. I know what stress can do to a person, Calista. Please, just calm down and take some deep breaths.”

“I’ll try.”

“I know this is stressful, but you need to take some time for yourself. I’m worried about you.”

“I’ll be okay. I’ve been feigning happiness for years.”

“But—”

“I’ll be fine.” Calista sniffled, dabbing at her nose again. “I need to go.” She stood up.

“Are you coming to the dinner tomorrow evening at June’s?” Kalina asked.

“I don’t know yet. I thought about it, but not sure if I can deal with Barringer right now.”

“Okay.” Kalina hugged Calista tight and held on. “Love you, sis.”

“Love you, too, and don’t worry about me, Kalina. I’ll be fine. Okay.”

“Okay. Just call me if you need me.”

“I will.”