Chapter 7

Kevin's question would be answered sooner than either he or Simone would have imagined. Later that evening, while the two were watching TV, Simone received a text message which read, "Good news. I'm here. Can you pick me up at the airport? I just landed. You know where I'll be. See you soon."

Simone had wanted her husband home so badly. Two weeks before she would have jumped for joy at receiving his text. But things had changed significantly since then. Simone had admitted to her anger and resentment toward Greg. She had gotten into a new routine. And ... she had Kevin ... whatever that meant.

"Who's the text from?" Kevin inquired. Simone hung her head and sighed. "Who's it from, Simone?"

"Greg," Simone replied as she lifted her head slightly to look at him.

"Oh," Kevin replied, his energy level dropping to match his sister's. "Um ... what's he say?"

"He's coming in," she said with another sigh. "Actually, he's in. He wants me to pick him up. Like ... now."

"Oh," Kevin repeated.

"I'm so sorry, Kev. I ... I don't know what to say."

"It's O.K. Like you told me ... he's your husband and you're his wife. I understand."

"Kevin, I feel terrible."

"Why, Simone? You've been saying you wanted him home. So now he's coming home. What's the problem?"

"What's the problem? Kevin, don't be like this, please. Two things are the problem, at least. One, I've gotten kind of used to Greg not being here. Two, I ... I've gotten to like being here with you. I know it's wrong and I shouldn't even say it. But I mean it."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that, is there? Like you said ... you're married and Greg is your husband."

"Do you hate me, Kev?"

"No, of course not, Simone. But I don't want to talk about it anymore, O.K.? And you said you have to pick Greg up, 'like, now'."

"I know. I do have to pick him up. Oh, it's so late. I don't want to wake the baby up. But I can't ask anybody to watch her at this hour."

"Don't worry, Simone. I'll stay with her."

"Oh, Kevin ... I couldn't ask you to do that. I'll drop you at home and take her with me."

"Really, it's fine. You shouldn't wake her and you don't need to get all her stuff together. I can go home when Greg gets here."

"Kevin ... why are you being so wonderful about this?"

"Because ... I just want to help you and the baby, like always."

Kevin looked Simone in the eye as he said this. She read a different answer in his gaze. What Simone knew Kevin's eyes were silently communicating was, "Because I'm in love with you ... and I would do anything for you ... even if it hurts."

"Oh, Kevin, Honey..." Simone began, but tears welled in her eyes. She pulled her little brother close and hugged him tightly, then kissed his mouth. "We'll figure this out, Kiddo. I don't know how, but I promise we will. O.K.?"

"Don't worry about it, Simone. You have a husband and a baby. Go get Greg. I'll be fine."

Simone hugged Kevin again, then began to gather her things so she could pick up her husband. She carried on a conversation with herself the entire way to the airport.

"Why am I not glad he's coming home?" Simone said aloud to herself. "It's all I've been wanting. No ... it's all I HAD been wanting, until Greg took off for another month. And before Kevin started hanging around. But ... what am I saying? What I've been doing with Kevin is TOTALLY wrong ... in so many ways! I don't need to go over them again." But regardless, she did. "No matter how mature he is, he's just a kid! And I'm married! Whether or not I'm frustrated with Greg, that's no excuse to have Kevin in my bed, even if we haven't been making love. And of course ... duh! He's my fucking little brother! Shit!

I know what to do. I'll just greet Greg normally and welcome him home. It'll be great to have him there with me and the baby, finally. Of course, I have no idea how long he's staying this time. Maybe I can lay down the law with him ... tell him he has to change jobs. No matter how good the money is, it's not worth it to sacrifice our family. He'll understand that. Won't he? He has to. After all, I'm his wife. And we have a daughter now! If he doesn't think that's important, then he's not worth my time anyway!" Simone had successfully run herself in circles repeatedly by the time she arrived at the place where she normally picked Greg up when he returned from a trip. She hoped that her long verbal battle with herself had left her somewhat centered for the ride home with Greg in the car. She saw him and pulled to the curb, lifted the inside latch to open the trunk for him to stow his bags, then unlocked the car door so he could enter on the passenger side. Even though she felt more grounded, she realized she still felt some resentment toward her husband for being gone so long. Simone decided that she would not kiss him when he got in. She would let him make the first move. She was surprised when he made no move toward her.

"So, how was the trip?" Simone began.

"Good. Successful," Greg replied.

"We didn't hear much from you," Simone commented.

"Well, you know how busy I get."

Several minutes of silence passed as they drove out of the airport toward the highway. Simone felt her anger rising up again. How could he not have kissed her? How could he not have asked about his daughter? Finally, she had to speak.

"Are you even wondering how your baby is ... or where she is at this time of night?"

"Oh, of course. She's fine, isn't she? Is anything wrong?"

"No, nothing at all is wrong. We got along just fine. Better than we have during the other trips you've taken since she was born three months ago."

"That's good," Greg answered, sidestepping his wife's sarcasm. "And I assume you dropped her at your mom's house, right?"

"No, I did not drop her at my mom's house. You called too late. I didn't want to wake them just so I could drop off the baby."

"Then where is she? I know she's not in the trunk."

"She's at home," Simone replied, ignoring his failed attempt at humor. "My brother is staying with her."

"Kevin? Can he handle that?"

"Yes, he can. He's been around a lot in the last few weeks. He's been a huge help and he's really great with the baby." Simone thought about the fact that Kevin had been handling a few other duties quite well too.

"Well, good. Glad to hear you haven't been alone."

"I HAVE been alone, Greg. Your daughter and I have been alone without YOU."

"Simone ... I just got off a plane. Can we talk about this later? I just want to get home. O.K.?"

"Sure, that would be great!" Simone suddenly sensed the smell of alcohol in the car. "Were you drinking on the plane?"

"It's a hell-of-a long flight, Simone. Yes, I had a few drinks along the way. So what?"

"So what? It just dawned on me that this is your ornery, 'get out of my face, I'm half drunk' attitude."

"Give me a break, will you? I'm hardly drunk at all."

Simone now burned with anger. Greg had not seemed at all glad to see her. He hadn't asked a single question about how she or his daughter was doing. And he seemed more than happy that Simone's little brother had picked-up the slack at home. Of course, Greg had no idea how much slack Kevin had picked up. But Simone thought that at this point, anything she had done with Kevin had served Greg right for his absence and his attitude.

They rode the rest of the way in silence. Greg dozed off in his seat several times, which in Simone's mind confirmed that he was at least half drunk. When they arrived at home, Greg decided to leave his bags in the car until morning. When they entered the house, Kevin was sitting on the couch watching TV. He waved hello and grunted his greetings to them without looking away from the screen.

"Hey, Kevin! How 'ya doing, little guy?" Greg said loudly before taking a closer look at his young brother-in-law. "Wait a minute ... Let me take that back. Holy shit, have you grown up or what? Man! I guess I haven't seen you for a few months. I can't believe that's you!"

"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, I'm fine, thanks," Kevin replied. "Um ... the baby's asleep, so you may want to be quiet."

"Oh, she'll be fine! Don't worry about it!" Greg said, again quite loudly.

"Kevin's right, Greg," Simone said. "It's hard enough to keep her down. Please try not to wake her. Anyway ... I think I'll drive Kevin home now."

"What? Why? It's too late. Let him stay here."

"No, I think he would rather go home, wouldn't you, Kev?"

"Yeah. That would be fine, Simone."

Kevin got up to get his jacket.

"Nonsense! Stay here, Kevin. You can sleep in the guest room. Then you can make us breakfast. Simone says you've been a real helper around here."

"Yeah, I've tried to be useful. Um ... I would just as soon go home if that's O.K."

"No, I insist. You go up to the guest room and make yourself comfortable. We'll go up to bed then we'll see you in the morning, Kev."

Simone looked apologetically at Kevin. He looked away before she could lock eyes with him, then he headed up to the guest room. Simone was still torn between wanting Greg to be there and being angry with him. His insistence that Kevin stay only made matters worse. Simone hated the idea of Kevin having to stay in the house with Greg home. But she saw no choice in the matter ... at least none that would not involve a round of fighting. Simone waved to Kevin's back as he ascended the stairs.

"He really would have rather gone home, Greg," Simone said.

"Oh, that's silly! I don't want to have to drive him and I'm sure you don't either."

"I would have been happy to drive him, Greg."

"Well, it doesn't matter now. He's already upstairs going to bed. Our turn, right? Up we go..."

Simone was growing increasingly upset with Greg as the minutes passed. Not only had he shown no love in his greeting when she picked him up at the airport (In fact, Simone thought he would have been more appreciative of a cabbie.), not only had he not asked at all how she had been, but he hadn't even seemed interested in the baby. And now, she knew what he meant by "It's our turn to go upstairs." It meant he wanted sex. He didn't want to make love to his wife because he missed her. Simone recognized this behavior. Greg had been drinking and he wanted her to service his desires. She had wanted nothing more than to have her husband home and in her bed. And now, even before they got upstairs, she was feeling sorry he had returned at all.

"Greg, can we talk for a few minutes?"

"I'm tired, Simone. We can talk tomorrow, O.K.?"

Rather than start an argument, which Kevin would overhear and which would likely wake the baby, Simone decided to go along ... at least with the plan to go upstairs. She wasn't sure whether she would go along with Greg's desire for sex. They got up to their bedroom and got undressed, then donned their respective night clothes. (Simone's included her nursing bra equipped with fresh pads. After completing their usual rituals, each climbed into their own side of the bed. Almost on cue, Greg rolled over and put his arm over Simone.