BROKEN

3. BROKEN

'Life could be bed of roses if you learn to be patience and lay the right foundation and also seize every opportunities to become a better you'

NICK POV

I got home to find my wife on the couch glue to her laptop. I didn't go home after leaving the hospital, Hillary somehow manages to drag me along with him to a bar with a couple of old friends of ours and there I stayed till evening. Her eyes didn't detach from it to see who unlock the door. She is back early I thought to myself and raise my wristwatch to cross-check. It was barely five in the evening. Lauren never returned home by such time.The earlier she has gotten home was 10pm so this was new. I walk in closing the door firmly behind me.

"Hey" I greeted stopping beside her

"Hey" She responded a little pissed but still not looking up to meet my gaze which I very much expected.

"How was work?" I asked settling myself into the couch opposite hers.

"Fine" She began with one syllable response. This only happens when there is a war looming within her head. I sure didn't want to be a part of that war but if I walk past her, the said war will be double in manifestation 'cause she'd capitalized on that to create a mountain of reasons.

I look at her for some seconds as I await her to speak further but she didn't budge. This exercise of begging for a decent conversation with my wife was wearing me off like a faded clothing.

Silence engulfed us as the only thing reminding me that human beings lives in this house were her fingers clicking on the keypads furiously. My eyes wander to the lines emerging on her forehead. She was stressed but she was stubborn enough not to abandon her office assignment to grab a bit of rest.

"You close early, not much work?" I ask trying to start a conversation to lessen the tension building around us.

She let out a sharp intake of breathe and stare at me with contempt, "Nick please, I don't have energy for any interrogation. As you can see I'm trying to work here. If you need something go straight to the point" She point to her laptop and resumed typing.

I simply nodded, "Sorry, I'm just surprise to see you back early that's so....."

I didn't get to finish my sentence as she cut me off rudely, "Can you please stop?" She yells pushing the laptop towards her knees."Someone had to stick around for the plumber man, isn't it?" She narrow her eyes at me.

This is it? I scoff at her angrily but manage to tame my emotions. I was good at it. Hiding my anger and frustration. Masking them behind a smile that burn my chin and jaw. Midway into our marriage, I'd figure there can't be two captain in a ship. If this ship we called marriage was to sail well and stay afloat one person among us has to be calm and collective.

I knew this discussion will be another reason for a fight but I care less about it. Since being angry makes her happy I opted to save myself the headache of a heated exchange of hurtful words by doing the needful which is to walk away.

"Fine, I'm sorry" I straightened up from the couch. Her eyes weren't on me when I stood up. She had already immense herself in work dismissing my presence. I march towards the stairs as I make my way to the bedroom. I slumped down on the bed and the urge to scream my anger pounce in my chest. I turned my face into the pillow and yell into it.

My chest heaved in an upward and downward position. I lifted myself up from the bed. I needed to shower as I'm in dire need of a decent bath but then I remembered Nora said no dipping of hands into water for some days. Damn! I hate to look like an invalid. I was never one to beg for assistance.