Housewife Gone Wild

Chapter 29

When the steaks arrived, Jared cut Yvonne’s portion into pieces, but she pushed her plate away, too full. With a sigh, he turned and noticed me still sipping my wine. “Would you like me to cut yours?” he offered.

I’m fine.” I understood this was simply his upbringing showing–the reflexive good manners of a man trained from birth in proper etiquette, not actual care.

We ate without conversation, the only sound being Jared’s phone buzzing with another message from Tracy–which he continued to ignore.

We maintained the ritual of family dinners, though ours contained none of the warmth those words suggested.

When dinner ended, Jared stood abruptly. “I have things to handle. Take Yvonne home.”

We both knew where he was going. I answered with a single “Fine,” scooped up Yvonne, and retreated to the car.

“Dad, where are you going? Can I come?” Yvonne asked, her tone suddenly brightening as if she’d guessed who he was meeting. “Please? There’s nothing to do at home.”

of course. His evening with Tracy

declined. “This is grown–up

me

immediately, yet an indescribable sorrow welled up

first marriage mattered most,

and read

my eyes,

called to ask if I’d taken Yvonne to school. After all, her

feel like going and wanted more time off, he just told

remembered how, in my previous life, I’d already mapped out Yvonne’s entire schedule–piano on Mondays and Wednesdays, dance and violin on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and

dragged little Yvonne to tutoring sessions,

at me. My relentless demands must have