Lucky Forever - Cee Bowerman Page 0,68
two of them had been bickering for a few days now and about three minutes ago, it had come to a head and the screaming started. A few slammed doors later, a little more screaming, and one really loud, “Fuck you!” and Rowdy had had enough.
“What in the hell is wrong with the two of you?” he roared from down the hall.
Everything got quiet and less than 10 minutes later, Rowdy was back on the couch with me. We enjoyed our program while two sullen preteens sat knee to knee in kitchen chairs set over at the side of the living room, holding hands and ‘staring lovingly into each other's eyes until they either forgot what they were fighting about or remembered why they loved each other’.
It took almost half an hour before the two of them started to giggle, but I kept my face blank as I watched my television program beside my husband.
◆◆◆
“Rowdy Lincoln, I swear by all that’s good and holy in this world that if you reload the dishwasher after I’ve already started it again, I will cut off your access to the goods for the next six months,” I threatened.
“We’ve been together 10 months and you’re already using sex as a weapon?” Rowdy asked from his recliner. “Seriously, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“It’s not that big of a deal?” I yelled at him. “How do you not realize that’s it’s a major fucking deal? I spend time cleaning up after myself while I cook so you don’t have to do so many dishes after we eat and you go behind me and undo all the work I’ve done.”
“Well, if you’d do it right… ,” Rowdy snapped.
“If I’d do it right? Are you fucking serious with that shit?”
“Jesus, is it Code Red or what?”
“You did not just blame this on my period,” I roared at him. “I did not hear such stupid, sexist bullshit just come out of your fucking mouth.”
“Well, I think you heard it or you wouldn’t be screeching about it.” Rowdy rolled his eyes and I wanted to punch him. “Seriously, what bug’s been up your ass lately? You’re hot and cold. One minute you’re all over me and then you’re jumping up like you’ve got a bad taste in your mouth. I was fucking kissing you and you jumped back like I was on fire.”
“You smelled like beer!”
“I had one fucking beer with dinner, Sierra! It’s not like I did a fucking keg stand!”
“It tasted horrible!”
“It’s the same fucking brand you drink! How was it all the fucking sudden horrible?”
I burst into tears, but I was still in a rage, “From now on, when I cook, I’m going to use every goddamn dish in the kitchen, burn the shit on the bottom of every fucking pan, and leave it all for you so you can load your precious dishwasher just right.”
“Fine! Do that!” Rowdy roared. “How the fuck are you crying right now? People don’t cry when they’re that pissed off. It’s not fucking natural.”
“You made me cry,” I wailed.
“And again, I ask, is it Code Red already? Because I swear it was less than a month ago I had to deal with Lexi and Leia crying when I got onto them about skipping their chores.” Rowdy stood up and walked toward me, his voice getting calmer the closer he came. “Honey, don’t cry. I’ll try and leave the dishes, but it’s like I can’t stop myself on some things. You know that.”
I let him pull me into his chest, and I cried on him until his shirt was wet, until all of a sudden, the tears just dried up and I was outraged again.
“Do you have to hold me so tight? You’re squishing my boobs and they already hurt.” I pushed away from him and got even angrier at the wide-eyed shock on his face.
“Code. Red.”
I watched Rowdy stomp through the kitchen and out the door, probably headed to the barn to talk shit about me to the horses while he worked out his anger cleaning tack.
“Mom?” I heard Leia say softly from the mouth of the hall. I looked over and she and Lexi were standing together holding hands - they had both been crying. I instantly felt horrible for arguing like that where they could hear. Actually, I already felt horrible for yelling at Rowdy for such a trivial thing in the first place.
“Girls, come here,” I held my arms out and they walked into the and