It was Tuesday morning and Curtis watched Charlotte enter the kitchen, purposely not looking in his direction. He and Matthew were sitting at the table, waiting for Tracy to serve breakfast, and Curtis was reading the business section the way he did every morning. He and Charlotte hadn’t said two words to each other, not since she’d told him where he could go, and for the time being that suited him just fine. It was true they had problems—serious problems—they needed to work out, but he had to admit, hearing her tell him to go straight to hell wasn’t sitting well with him. Her words were totally uncalled for and not at all the sort of words a pastor’s wife should be using when speaking to her husband. He knew she was upset about a number of issues, but his patience was slowly but surely beginning to wear thin. He was slowly but surely getting to the point where he would have to do what was right, regardless of whether Charlotte liked it or not. He’d begged and pleaded with her long enough, and he was tired of it. He was tired, and if she didn’t soon hear what he was trying to tell her, then that would be her dilemma and her dilemma alone.
“Dad, you should’ve been at practice yesterday when I made that bomb touchdown,” Matthew said and was more excited than he’d been in a while.
“I wish I could have seen it. But you’ll get a couple more in during the games.”
“We only have two more, this Thursday and next Thursday and then the championship if we make it.”
“You’ve had a great season and if you keep playing like you have been, you’ll be prime for a starting position in high school next year. And then, if you do well there, the top universities will be practically throwing scholarships at you.”
“I hope so.”
“Has your coach found any more football camps for us to check out? Because I really think it would be good for you to go next summer. Even if it’s just for a couple of weeks or so.”
“No, but he said he’ll have some more brochures by the end of the month.”
“That’s good, and once we decide on which one, we’ll get you registered.”
“Thanks, Dad. I love football more than anything.”
“I can tell,” Curtis said, laughing. “Everyone can tell.”
Charlotte finally took a seat next to Matthew but still didn’t look at Curtis.
“So, sweetie, did you get all your homework finished last night?”
“Yes. All I had was something from English and math.”
“Just as long as you finished it, I’m good.”
“Mom, I always do my homework. And I’m getting A’s in every class except art and that’s only because art is crazy.”
“It’s not crazy,” Curtis said. “You just don’t like it.”
“You’re right. And I wish I’d taken another elective.”
“It’ll be over in a few months, so you just hang in there,” Charlotte encouraged him.
“I will, and I’m still getting a B, anyway. Journalism is my favorite class, though. I could write articles for the school newspaper every day and never get tired of it. And as soon as football season ends, I’ll be taking over as editor. Ms. Lundvall promised it to me last year and she has someone filling in for me right now.”
“That was really nice of her to do that,” Charlotte told him.
“Yep.”
“You must be as good as you say you are then, hunh?” Curtis teased.
“Must be,” Matthew said and bumped knuckles with his dad.
Once Tracy had brought breakfast to the table, whole wheat toast, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, and grits, Curtis said grace and they all dug in. Curtis moaned slightly when he bit into his helping of eggs because no one made eggs like Tracy. He consistently asked her what she used to season them, but she would never say. Said it was some historical family secret and that if she told him, she’d have to kill him, and she didn’t want to do that.
She joked with Curtis about her eggs all the time and even Charlotte had tried to steal a few looks from time to time whenever Tracy made them, but to this day, neither of them had a clue in terms of what spices she used.
Matthew’s car-pool ride honked and he quickly finished off his freshly squeezed orange juice, grabbed his book bag, bumped knuckles with his father again, and hugged his mother.
“Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad. Bye, Tracy.”
“See you, son,” Curtis said.
“Have a good day, sweetheart.”
“Yes, have a good day,” Tracy told him. “And don’t forget the check for your lunch. It should cover you all the way through December. That is, if you don’t eat too many extra snacks.”
“I won’t,” he said.
Curtis was so proud of Matthew. He was so talented and so intelligent and it was interesting how he had such a gift and love for writing the same as Alicia did, even though, technically, they weren’t related. Alicia loved him the way any sister loved her little brother and Matthew loved her the way little brothers love their big sisters, but they didn’t have the same mother or father. Of course, this was all because of Charlotte’s great desire to sleep with her cousin’s husband, right in their own home like it was nothing.
Which is why, more and more, Curtis was having a difficult time understanding her objection to his having a relationship with Curtina. Her standards were beyond double and she had no justifiable claim for what she was demanding.
As soon as Tracy closed the door behind Matthew, Charlotte told Tracy how good everything tasted and headed back upstairs. She still wasn’t speaking to Curtis, and while he had a mind to follow behind her, he decided against it. Instead, he struck up a conversation with his housekeeper.
“So, tell me, Tracy, are we paying you enough? Because if we’re not, I wanna know.”
“Yes. Yes, Mr. Curtis. You and Ms. Charlotte are very good to me. You’re more than generous, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m always bragging to my friends about how well you treat me.”
“Well, good. That’s what I want to hear. But you will tell me if something changes, right?”
“Yes, Mr. Curtis. But I tell you, I’m fine. I have no complaints and no requests. That is, unless you can find me a nice Christian man. Not one of those jokers that don’t mean a woman any good, but a decent one.”
“I’ll have to see what I can do. There has to be someone out there dying to meet a great catch like you.”
Curtis smiled and flipped through another section of the newspaper. He felt bad for Tracy because even though she was the sweetest woman and would certainly make some man a very good wife, she wasn’t too attractive. And that was putting it mildly. In fact, her homeliness was the reason Charlotte had not one ounce of worry when it came to Tracy and Curtis being in the house together when no one else was around. Charlotte never felt threatened even slightly.
After maybe another half hour passed, Tracy started washing clothes and Curtis went up to the bedroom to let Charlotte know he was leaving for the church. When he walked in, she was sitting in bed with her knees bent, watching what must have been an old episode of Girlfriends.
“So you still don’t have anything to say, I guess?” he asked.
“Actually, I think I’ve said it all. I’ve made my point, and frankly I don’t see a reason to keep discussing it.”
“Are you coming to the board meeting this morning?”
“Since when do we meet on Tuesdays during the day?”
“With everything that’s been going on, I forgot to tell you about the Tolson situation. He’s not happy, and he’s making financial demands. Wants us to buy him out of his contract and then some.”
“Well, I won’t be there.”
“Charlotte, this is serious. It’s an emergency meeting and you need to be in attendance.”
“Did you hear me?” she said, raising her voice. “I said no.”
“Fine. Do what you want to do.”
“I will.”
“And so will I,” Curtis said, turning to leave.
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“Just what I said.”
“For the last time, Curtis, I’m warning you.”
“No, I’m warning you. Because I’ve had enough of your whining and ultimatums. I’m sick of it, and I’m getting to the point where I’m sick of you. I’ve been babying you and trying to get you to see where I’m coming from but you just won’t listen. I’ve forgiven you for every single thing you’ve ever done to me but now you’re acting as if you can’t do the same.”
“I can’t and I won’t.”
“Then don’t. But understand this. I’m through tap dancing around you like you’re some queen.”
“I don’t have to understand anything. I’ve told you how things are going to be and that’s the end of it.”
“Well, it certainly wasn’t the end when you slept with crazy Aaron and then had his baby. And don’t get me started on all the pain you’ve caused Matthew with all your lying. You’re the reason Marissa turned out the way she did, because if you hadn’t slept around with Aaron while you were still married to me, she wouldn’t have ended up with his psycho traits. And if you’d kept your legs shut that weekend you spent time at Anise’s, Matthew would be my son and not David’s.”
“Curtis, I was only seventeen when I got pregnant and you were married. Remember? So just shut up. Just shut up and leave me alone.”
“You know, there were a lot of people at the church who said I should have dumped you when I found out about Aaron, and now I’m wondering if I should have listened to them.”
“Pleeeaase. You, the so-called man of God who’s had affairs on every woman you’ve been married to? Huh! And I’ll tell you something else, your publisher should be shot for paying you all the money they do. You’ve got so many people fooled, but you and I both know that you’re the last person on earth who should be writing spiritual books that give advice on relationships. Not to mention the ones you’ve written on how people should live their lives. You’re the worst example I’ve ever seen.”
“I’m done with this.”
“I don’t care how done you are. All I know is that if you see Tabitha and that baby again, you’ll be sorry.”
“Charlotte. Dear. Sweetheart. By now, you must know that your threats don’t mean a thing to me. And don’t get me wrong, I really wanted us to work this thing out, but since you keep refusing to even try, there’s nothing I can do about it. So, from this point on, whatever happens, happens.”
“That sounds like a threat.”
“No. I’m just telling you the way things are.”
“So you’re going against everything I’ve asked you not to do?”
“I’m out of here.”
“Just answer the question. Have you decided that you are going to see that tramp that almost ruined our marriage?”
“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do but for the record, I have no desire to see Tabitha. I just want to see my daughter.”
“It’s all the same thing. If you see Curtina, you’ll have to see Tabitha and that’s what Tabitha has been planning all along.”
“But why can’t you just trust me? Your husband who you say you love?”
“Because for five years you slept with that woman behind my back, added your name to her mortgage, and the list goes on.”
“And I’ve apologized to you for that for what seems a thousand times. I’ve done things I’m not proud of, but, Charlotte, so have you.”
“Don’t you dare keep trying to turn this on me. This is about you and that home wrecker you committed adultery with.”
“I need to get to the church,” he said.
“Whatever.”
Curtis looked at her, frustrated, and left.
He headed out to the SUV and wondered how this whole scenario would play out in the end.
He wondered if he and Charlotte would still be husband and wife one year from now.