Betrayal
Peter raised his hand in farewell:
“Right then, Rosemary, I’m off! Ill transfer the money to Mum, dont worry.”
The door slammed behind him, and Rosemary sank onto the stool, suddenly overwhelmed by tears.
“Mum, whats wrong?” Her son appeared in the kitchen doorway. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” Rosemary was ashamed of her weakness. “Nothing serious, love. Just a bit down, missing the boys.” Jonathan and Christina were staying with their nan.
“No,” Dominic said firmly. “People dont cry like that just because theyre a bit down. And you talk to the boys on the phone every day. Im not a kid anymore, Mum. I understand things.”
Rosemary looked at her sixteen-year-old son, already taller than her, and unexpectedly voiced the fear she hadnt even admitted to herself:
“I think your dads about to leave us.” She added, answering his silent question with a glance, “Hes been lying to me. For almost half a year now…”
Dominic didnt know how to react. Hed thought she was upset about work, or an argument with a friend. But this? His dad? How could this happen? Anger simmered in him, and his mother noticed.
“Dominic, dont. These things happen between adults. Youll understand one day. Your dads a good manyou cant force the heart.”
Even as she spoke, Rosemary didnt believe her own words. She wanted to scream, smash things, but instead, she was telling her eldest son to forgive and understand his father! Dominic clenched his fists.
“Let him go, then! Well manage without him. Whys he even still here?”
“Love, you say youre grown up, but youre acting like a child. Everyone makes mistakes, dont they? Your dad will realise this is just a passing fancy. His family always came first”
“Mum,” Dominics voice cracked, suddenly sounding younger. “Why would he do this? Ill never respect him the same way again!”
“Itll all work out, love,” Rosemary patted his hand. “Just dont tell your brothers, alright?”
“You too,” Dominic wiped his eyes. “We dont want their faith in their big brother shaken, do we?”
Rosemary glanced at the clock.
“Arent you late for training?”
Dominic jumped up.
“Bloody hell, I am!”
Alone, Rosemary fell into thought. Talking to Dominic had kept her calm, but now the hurt surged back, and she wept.
“How could he betray everything we had?”
When shed first met Peter, he was carefree, always surrounded by girls he called “little birds.” When Rosemary said she wouldnt be just another bird, hed replied solemnly:
“Why another? Youd be the only one. For life.”
And shed believed him, the fool. Seventeen years together, three children, joys and hardshipsand still, hed betrayed her.
It had started six months ago. Or maybe earlierhad she missed the signs? At his nephews wedding, shed seen a woman clinging to Peter in the photos. When she mentioned it, hed brushed it off:
“Who? Oh, the brides friend. No idea why she was hovering. Not my type, lovejealous, are you?”
Shed believed him; the woman wasnt his usual type. But then came the strange calls, silences on the phone. Shed joked:
“Getting prank callsmust be one of Dominics little birds!”
The calls stopped, but she didnt connect it to their conversation. Not until Petera jeans-and-jumper manstarted wearing suits, cologne, staying late at work.
“Weve got a major project, love! Once its done” Hed grinned. “Well get that fur coat you wanted, a scooter for Dom, maybe even a quad bike!”
Soon, he was working weekends too. A call would come”Sorry, love, emergency at work”and hed vanish. Rosemary wanted to find that woman, drag her by the hair, but she didnt even know her name.
Six months of this had left her frayed. Today, after speaking to Dominic, she resolved:
“I have to confront him. Before Dom starts hating his father.”
But Peter beat her to it. He called, inviting her to dinner:
“Rosemary, we need to talk. Without the kids.”
She smiled bitterlyhe knew shed never make a scene in public.
At first, she considered going in her work clothes, no fuss. Then she thought of arriving straight from the garden, humiliating him. But at the last minute, she changed her mind:
“Ill look my best. Let him see what hes losing.”
The cabbie watched her in the mirror. As she paid, he said unexpectedly:
“Pretty lady like you, so sad? Dont worryitll all work out.”
The compliment lifted her spirits. She entered the restaurant smilingonly to freeze when she saw the rose in Peters hand. If he was leaving, why bring a flower? A symbol for their loves grave? The morbid thought amused her.
They made small talk over dinner, the tension coiling inside her. Finally, she snapped:
“Peter, you said we needed to talk.”
He nodded. “Right. Brieflyhowd you feel if we skipped the holiday, no fur coat or quad bike?”
The coiled spring inside her tensedbut Peter went on:
“Got nearly double pay today. ThoughtDoms sixteen, soon hell want his own place. Why not buy him a flat? Invest this money, and by eighteen, itll be his. What dyou think?”
“Understood,” she said calmlythen stalled. “What? A flat? What flat?”
“Werent you listening? Youve been so distracted lately. Rosemary, whats going on?”
Later, Peter shouted. Hed held back in the restaurant, but outside, he let loose:
“Have you lost your mind? An affair? After all Ive explainedthe project, the overtime? Ive been boasting about my understanding wife, and here youve been suspecting me of nonsense!”
They walked home in silence, Rosemary smiling through his rant. Every complaint now sounded like angelic music. At the doorstep, Peter finally calmed.
“Didnt I say once Id found my one and only? Have I ever lied to you?”
Dominics day had gone awry. His mothers confession that morning had thrown him. Late to training, scolded by the coach, hed wandered the streets till dark, itching for a fight. No hooligans obliged. Returning home, he saw his parents kissing on the doorstep. His mothers coat was unmistakable. His blood boiledaccusing his dad of betrayal, while she? Fists clenched, he stepped forward
“Oh, son,” Peter chuckled awkwardly. “We were just”
Alls well that ends well, eh?
