Jeanne had always believed her marriage was stable, but something about John’s regular excursions to his brother’s residence began to seem odd. Over the last six months, John has frequently disappeared to “help Clarke with repairs” or to “spend time with family.” At first, she didn’t question it—family was essential to him. But when John began making these journeys on a daily basis, Mary became very concerned.
One Sunday morning, while Jeanne was occupied with their one-year-old son, Lucas, her phone rang. It was Laurel, her sister-in-law, and the tone of her voice quickly indicated that something was amiss.
After a brief exchange of niceties, Laurel came right to the point: “Jeanne, I apologize, but we need to talk about John. He’s been coming over every day, and it’s becoming too much.
Jeanne was taken aback. “I know, he’s been helping Clarke with some things, right?”
Laurel’s sour laugh on the other end of the call revealed a different narrative. “Jeanne, he isn’t coming over to assist. He’s been having supper with us virtually every night, and we can’t afford to continue feeding him. It’s building up, and we need you to meet the grocery bill.”Jeanne was taken aback and struggled to understand what she had heard. She trusted John, believing that his visits to Clarke’s residence were for good reasons. However, finding that he was eating entire meals there without telling her seemed like a betrayal.
When John arrived that evening, she couldn’t keep it in any longer. “John, we need to talk,” she continued, attempting to maintain a calm voice.
He seemed nervous. “What’s this about?”
“Laurel called.” She told me all about your daily visits. “Why didn’t you tell me you had dinner there every night?”
John avoided her gaze and focused on the floor. “I did not want to upset you. I understand you’ve been focused on creating nutritious meals, but… I just miss the hearty comfort foods we used to eat.
Jeanne’s fury boiled out. “So instead of talking to me, you go eat at Clarke and Laurel’s? Do you know how uncomfortable it was to learn about it from Laurel? She wants us to pay for the food you’ve been consuming!”
Leave a Reply