ojos11

One & Two\\Three & Four

Abigail put down the issue of Runway she had been reading and headed for the door as someone rang the doorbell incessantly.

“Miranda, what a surprise!”

“Hello, Abby. Would you please serve me a shot of tequila?”

Abigail began to worry from the moment her best friend had used her childhood nickname. The request for tequila confirmed her suspicions that something was wrong. She thought what it could be as she poured. She spilled the tequila when it dawned on her what was probably wrong. Nigel should have never opened his big mouth.

“I suppose you already know what Nigel told me?” Miranda asked after she drank the tequila in one go.

Abigail nodded. “I’m so glad you came here instead of tracking Stephen down.”

“Would you give me another, please.”

Abigail thought drinking would only make things worst but she kept the thought to herself and poured again.

“It never even crossed my mind to go to Stephen. I can’t face him. I’m so angry with him! Angry with me! It’s indignant.”

“We have no proof, Miranda.”

Miranda looked at her pointedly. “Nigel has eyes. He says he saw Stephen with another woman. That’s enough proof for me.”

“What did Nigel tell you?”

“That he saw Stephen kissing a woman. That she was young, slim, and beautiful enough to be a Runway model.”

“Maybe…” Abigail wanted to play the devil’s advocate, if only to offer Miranda some comfort, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say. “What will you do?”

“I don’t know.”

Miranda hadn’t planned on doing anything, but in the bedroom that night she couldn’t help herself. “You’re having an affair.” This time it wasn’t a question.

“What?”

“Who is she?”

Stephen didn’t know what to say so he said the only thing that popped into his mind. “What are you talking about?”

“I am talking about the woman you took to the Hamptons this weekend. Who is she?”

“Miranda, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Nigel, saw you kissing a woman at a party in the Hamptons this weekend. I want you to tell me who she is?”
Miranda had promised herself that she wouldn’t shout, she wouldn’t even raise her voice. She didn’t want the twins to hear them. But when Stephen implied that he had no idea what she was talking about yet again, and Miranda lost it. “You were kissing her, Stephen! You must know who she is. Tell me, who is she?”

“For God’s sake, keep your voice down.” He hissed at her.

Usually the reminder of the girls’ presence in the house was enough to calm Miranda down but it seemed to have no effect. “Who is she?”

“I don’t…” He saw her eyes narrow dangerously and thought better than to deny it again, “…I don’t remember her name.”

Miranda sat down on the bed and laughed darkly. “You don’t remember her name?”

“No.” Stephen answered automatically.

“Do you really think I’m that stupid, Stephen?” Miranda watched Stephen blanch at her tone; she decided not to give him time to recover. “We are going to have this conversation Stephen whether you want to or not, and you will tell me her name.”

“Our marriage is falling apart, Miranda.”

“Because of that woman,” she said defensively.

“It has nothing to do with her. It’s about us.”

“What are you telling me, that you want a divorce?” Miranda’s voice almost broke; despite everything she still loved him. Still needed him.

“Miranda, I’m sixty-two years old and I’ve lived half of those years with you. It seems a bit late now to start over.”

It wasn’t what she wanted to hear. It wasn’t even in the ballpark, but if it meant he was staying… Miranda didn’t trust him anymore but she loved him, and she wanted him to stay.

Miranda woke that day with the energy, the hunger, and the need, to make the world bend to her will. She knew it wasn’t possible. She knew it was in fact ridiculous because she could never get the fashion world to bend to her will, she came close but was never fully successful, and she sure as hell wouldn’t be able to make Stephen bend to her will but she wanted to try. She was going to try.

She had dressed her self impeccably like always yet today more than yesterday or any other day she had to make an effort to do so. She was off her game. The mess that was her marriage had thrown her off her game, but she walked with determination as she made her way through her house towards the front door.

She was at foot of the stairs when she heard the sound of her daughters in the kitchen. She stopped paralyzed by the first four words.

“They fought last night.” Cassidy told her sister as they sat across each other and finished their breakfast.

“They fight all the time. What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is the dad’s gonna get tried of it. His probably tired of all it already.”

“Cassidy what the hell are you talking about?” Caroline knew what her twin was getting at but she couldn’t let her know that. No one could know that.

“Dad’s a guy.”

Caroline laughed, “Hadn’t noticed.”

“I’m serious. He is a guy, and mom well…she’s always at work or doing something for a charity. She never spends time with him anymore, he is going to get tired and soon.”

At this Caroline took the time to look directly at Cassidy, “You can’t blame this on mom.”

“She’s the one that’s always at the office or at some function. She’s never here.”

“Well neither is he!” She wasn’t going to let Cassidy blame their mother for what was going on with their parents, especially when she didn’t know what their father was doing.

“I can’t believe you’re blaming dad.” Cassidy said with such surprise in her voice that Caroline started wondering if Cassidy had actually been paying attention for the past few years.

“What I can’t believe is that you’re trying to blame this on mom when you don’t know what’s going on. You don’t know the facts. You do not know what he is doing! So just shut up about mom!”

Caroline left the kitchen quickly after that and headed toward the stairs where her mother still stood with a look of shock and even deeper sadness.

They stared at each other until Caroline moved past Miranda and up the stairs. Miranda put her sunglasses on and head out the door, feeling like the world had tried to bend her and had broken her instead.

Andy woke like always, hiding from the sunlight under the comforter. It wasn’t seven yet and she had already received several calls from Frank, asking if she’d made any progress with interviewing Stephen Tomlinson, of course she hadn’t, but she assure him she had found a way. Nate had also called to remind her that she had to pick up Jude from school that afternoon, like Andy would ever forget her daughter.

“Felisa,” she called out to her neighbor.

“Yeah?”

Andy walked out of her apartment and pocked her head through Felisa’s front door. “Are you going to the market today?”

“Why, you need something?”

“Yeah but I don’t want to bother you.”

“Andy, please,” Felisa waved away the comment, “what do you need?”

“Could you buy Jude’s cereal? I ate all of it and she’s coming home today and since I have to go office I don’t know if I’ll be able to go to the market.”

“Don’t worry about it, pumpkin I’ll get it.”

“You know which brand she likes right?”

Felisa glared at her, “Of course I know.”

Andy ran in and gave her a peck on the cheek. “What would I do without you, Felisa?”

“Get married.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“He’d have to be the perfect man. He’d have to think like a woman, love with the same passion as a woman, not to mention be a loyal as a woman.”

Felisa looked at her curiously before saying, “Then I suggest you start thinking about dating women.”

Andy laughed, “Can’t am attracted to men.”

Felisa shrugged. “More fool you.”

“Yup,” Andy answered laughing harder.

“And what did you tell her?”

“Nothing. I said nothing. What else could I tell her?”

Stephen never liked to discus a problem if he couldn’t give it his full attention which was why he did something he rarely did with Emily, speak in a harsh tone. They where waiting for a table at their favorite restaurant.

“You could’ve told her the truth.”

“I said nothing because I couldn’t think of anything else to say.”

Emily looked at him pointedly, “That you love another woman, obviously.”

When they were led to the table, she asked him the question she always did. “How much longer Stephen?”

“I don’t know, sweetheart. I just don’t know.”

Emily couldn’t believe her ears. “So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know, less late nights I suppose, and no more getaways for a while.”

She barely acknowledged the waiter as he handed them their menus. She had to have heard wrong. “In the two years we’ve been together it’s the first time I’ve felt like we’re having an affair instead of being in love.”

“You know I love you.”

“Yes, and I love you. It’s just hard to love with so many restrictions.” She reached across the table and held his hand. “I want to marry you.”

“Emily…it’s too late for me to start over.”

“Stephen, it’s never too late. Not for love.”

“It’s not that simple.”