by David Hatton
‘You and your pride.’
‘Yeah, exactly, I have pride and I’m not going begging. I promised him I’d look after you and as God as my witness, I will, without his help. I got us into this mess and I’ll get us out of it.’
Silence filled the room for several minutes while they cooled off. Nobody wanted round two of their earlier fight. They were already on thin ice with their neighbours.
'So how about that Las Vegas trip?' Marty changed the subject.
'Well, maybe that sounds OK.' Beverly cautiously accepted. 'It'll never happen though... we’ll never get out of this mess, no matter how hard we work.'
'We will.' Marty assured. 'I promise you.'
The movie ended and Beverly yawned.
'I better go to sleep, Hunny, I have an early start. Another long day ahead. I just wish we could see the difference our hard work makes. Our salaries barely pay off the interest on our loans, while the repayments never reduce.'
'Our house hasn't been repossessed. That's surely a good thing to focus on. Our hard work is paying off right there.'
'I suppose.' Beverly's pessimism echoed in her voice. 'Anyway, goodnight Marty.'
'Goodnight Hunny, I love you so much,' he whispered as she closed her eyes. The guilt of their earlier argument festered within him as they ended the night in each other's arms. He kissed her cheek and she smiled.
'I love you too.' Dreaming of the movie they had just watched together, Beverly had only one wish. ‘Take me to St. Louis one day.’
‘I will.’ Watching her eyes flicker as she dreamed, he thought about everything they had come through together. Marty knew his wife would soon face the same nightmare, which he shared every night. The ugly visions of their beloved home and children being snatched away haunted him too. Distressed by his wife's financial concerns, he needed a solution.
The Return by David Hatton is out now on Amazon.
About the Author
David Hatton was born in in Preston, Lancashire. When he’s not writing, he’s recruiting for a large retail firm. Today he lives in Horwich, Greater Manchester, with his partner, David.