“Sally, I realize this has been a hard season on you and the kids – it’s been hard on me too honestly. But that’s all it is…a season…a period in time. This isn’t the rest of our lives. Once I get some systems set up, I’ll be able to let Hope—”
She cut him off, “I’m so sick of hearing about Hope and your empty promises. If I hear you give me that line again I’m gonna puke,” the condescension and contempt seething from between her teeth, “You’ve told me for years about your ‘systems’ – you’ve promised us for years that you’ll be at gymnastics shows and orchestra concerts and spelling-bees – and you’ve missed the majority of them. Even when you’ve shown up, you’ve been late and missed your own kids’ parts. We’ve had to lie to them and trick them into thinking you were there.”
Her words stung.
Her words were true though.
He had promised the same things before. And he had meant them. It just didn’t work out that way. Not wanting to concede though, he pushed forward, “Listen, even if you’re right, it doesn’t mean you have the right to accuse me of cheating. That hurts Sally….that’s a low blow.”
“You’ve been cheating for years. Melissa or no Melissa. You’ve been cheating for years.” She shook her head.
At that, Ted grabbed his jacket, keys and wallet, and silently walked out of the room. He didn’t notice Jordan in the shadows who had scooted quietly in her socks toward the opposite end of the hall as she had heard the conversation drawing to a close. It wasn’t the first time he had failed to notice her.
Ted calmly (all things considered) walked out of the back of the house and shut the door. The Chrysler minivan started and drove away.