Mike gave another vague shrug. Marina had the sudden urge to throw the empty wine bottle at the wall. “My guess is he’s having money problems,” Mike said. “Otherwise he wouldn’t be asking to stay with us. That kind of call usually means things aren’t going great.”
“Terrific. Exactly what I needed—another freeloader,” Marina snapped, then immediately bit back the rest, bracing for a fight. But Mike only took another slow sip of wine. “I’m taking Chuck out,” he said, completely sidestepping her outburst. Then he added that she’d probably need to start cooking bigger meals too.
Left alone in the kitchen, Marina simmered. Their home already felt crowded with two people who barely connected. A third person—especially a man in his fifties with his own habits and opinions—was the last thing she wanted. But she didn’t exactly have veto power. They split the mortgage, and that meant living with compromises she hadn’t chosen.
When Marina’s mother came to visit, Mike ground his teeth but tolerated it for a couple of days. Now it was Marina’s turn to play gracious host for an unknown stretch of time. She spent all of Saturday deep-cleaning the condo. She had a habit of wanting everything to look put together in front of other people, and that meant scrubbing every corner until the place practically shined.
“So, looking forward to moving back into the marital bedroom?” Mike teased, watching her battle dust under the dresser with a half-smile. Marina gave him a cool look. “As if you left me a choice.” She suggested, dryly, that maybe they could buy a folding cot and put his honored guest in the kitchen.
Dropping the damp rag into the bucket, Marina stood up straight. “Better idea,” she said. “You sleep on the cot, and we let your father have the room like normal people.” The smile vanished from Mike’s face. He stepped closer and reached for her.
She got up from the floor and looked him right in the eye. “So I’m the one getting displaced while your father gets the royal treatment?” “That’s about right,” Marina said flatly. To her surprise, Mike pulled her toward him and kissed her hard.
There hadn’t been that kind of heat between them in a very long time, not even in the occasional moments when they still tried to be intimate. Caught off guard, Marina gave in for a second and wrapped her arms around his neck. She let him guide her toward the couch, forgetting all about the half-cleaned floor. Then came a loud crash and Mike’s muttered curse, and the moment was over.
He had kicked over the bucket of dirty mop water and sent it across the living room floor. The romantic mood vanished instantly, replaced by a familiar flash of anger. Once again, Marina pictured divorce papers in her mind. That image had started showing up more and more whenever Mike’s carelessness pushed her past her limit.
“I’ll clean it up,” he said quickly. But she pushed past him, grabbed the rag, and started wiping up the mess herself. That evening, walking the dog became Mike’s job for once, while Marina calmed her nerves with the wine that had mysteriously appeared in the fridge. She knew she hadn’t bought it, which meant it was his quiet attempt at an apology.
He knew perfectly well that a couple glasses made her more agreeable. Tomorrow she’d be meeting her father-in-law, and the thought hung over her like a storm cloud. Mike had once again taken the easy way out, unable—or unwilling—to tell his father no. Marina, meanwhile, would have to put on a polite smile and play the welcoming hostess.
After all, no one had forced her to marry him. Complaining about her own choices felt pointless. “What time does his train get in?” she asked nervously early Sunday morning. It was barely after ten, but she had been awake since six, working herself into a state over the visit. She hadn’t felt this keyed up since childhood doctor appointments.
“No idea. The train gets in at eleven. Why are you so worked up? He won’t be here before noon,” Mike muttered. She had no intention of admitting she was nervous about meeting the man. Between a hard workweek and a sleepless night, exhaustion finally caught up with her…
