My Dirty Affair

Chapter Nine

I have to admit, my suspicions were gone, and once again Ellis proved to me that he was the man of my dreams in everyway. And I knew he loved me so much, that he didn't whine or complain about my reckless driving in my new Jeep. It moved swimmingly through the streets and the wheel turned smoothly the way I wanted it to. My old car was aging and driving it became difficult that's why I started saving half of my paycheck for the Jeep. I had a certain goal to reach, and I was almost there, but my husband had gotten it for me without me knowing. Honestly, I had no clue whatsoever that he was getting the Jeep from me and he wouldn't have hidden it even if he tried.

I made sure to park my new ride away from other cars that way I would avoid risking someone possible scratching it. Ellis laughed at my reason, but he didn't complain that I parked it even farther from the restaurant's entrance and we had to walk a not too long distance to get there. Ellis got out of the car before me and walked to my side to open the door for me. I took his hand and let him help me out, careful that I don't ruin my dress or my shoes in the process.

Robert was saint for waiting as long as he did. We'd been an hour and a half late and he still waiting for us before he even ordered a drink, so did his wife, Ellis' step-mother Rose, they were having a conversation until we walked up and they rose to greet us.

"Melinda, honey, you look beautiful this evening." Rose said, enveloping me in a hug. "Thank you, same to you." I said then it was Robert's turn for a hug.

Ellis came up and hugged his father next; they clapped each other on the back. "Hi, Dad."

"Son, you look good."

"Feel good, too." Ellis said, smiling adoringly to me. "I've never felt this happy in a long while."

I smiled back, feeling my cheeks warm under his gaze. He was my everything and I knew in his eyes that I was his. Robert took notice and I saw his smile widen. "I am so happy to see you too, I've been meaning to talk to you guys."

Ellis looked to his father, the smile vanishing from his face. "Is it bad?"

Robert shook his head. "No, no, it's not. We'll get to that after I know how marriage life is going for you too."

We each took our seats beside our spouses and a waitress came to take our drink orders. When she left and came back with out drinks, we started small talk then got into how the honeymoon went, minus the intimate details. All the while, Robert listened with Rose interjecting with a question or two and Robert would crack a joke here and there.

"How're your parents, Melinda?" Robert asked.

By this time our dinner had arrived and we'd begun digging in. No one spoke the first few minutes as we ate. Then I answered his question. "My mother is doing fine. She works a lot at the hospital and my dad still works at the auto shop. I haven't called them yet, but I plan on it tomorrow. I miss them."

"Well I can tell you that they're probably waiting by their phones as we speak to get some word from you. I'd hoped Ellis would contact me after you two came back from your honeymoon." He eyed his son with mock irritation.

Ellis smiled at his father. "Dad, you know I would've called, but I've been busy."

"With work or your wife?"

"My wife, of course." Hearing him use his new title for me made me giddy on the inside. The way he said sounded like I was the one and only woman for him, which I should be and we'd keep it that way for the rest of our lives. "Technically, I'm still on my honeymoon. The office doesn't know it yet."

"I have to go back to work starting next week. I just want to spend these last few days with my husband." I said, placing my hand on his knee. Ellis looked at my hand where it was placed on his knee and waggled his eyebrows.

It's a good thing Robert decided at that moment to go back to eating his meal. I removed my hand from his son's thigh.

"What is it that you wanted to talk to us about, Dad?" Ellis asked in between bites of his steak.

"Oh," Robert wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin and tossed it aside on the table before joining hands with Rose, "we have something to announce."

Ellis began chewing his steak slowly. "Oooookay." He drew the word out.

I braced myself too, preparing for the worse.

"Rose and I are moving."

Ellis let go of his silverware and took a long drag of his wine. "What?"

"We're moving. It's about time I get out of this state. There's nothing here for me and I'm retired. Rose is about to retire from the bank. We want to live somewhere small."

"But you're moving away from me. What if something happens? What if you get sick? What if you hurt yourself? How will I know or be able to take care of you? It's a long way from here. Why would you want to leave home?" Ellis asked, gripping the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white.

Robert swirled the wine in his glass around a few times before he responded. Rose placed a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder and when he looked at her he smiled. "Ellis, I can't stay here anymore. You're a grown man and you don't need me. I will be fine. I have a clean bill of health and I haven't had a history of injuries, I am a careful man. I am your father and I love you, but I need this."

"Dad, no. Not after everything we've been through, you know why I can't let you leave."

Silence.

Nothing but the whispers and sounds of silverware hitting glass filled the room, but it didn't take away from the silence at our table. Robert placed his elbows on the table and balled his fists together. Rose proceeded to rub his back and look from Robert to Ellis, at a lose for what to do. I threaded my fingers through Ellis' and felt him hold on tightly. He didn't look at me, but I could tell he needed to know I was still there, holding on to him and there for him if need be. This was a subject he and his father didn't like to talk about or bring up. It's the real reason why he didn't want his father to leave his sight and I didn't blame him.

Catherine. His mother.

She died not too long ago in a car accident. Cliché, but it just goes to show anything can happen in someone's life that'd make them here one second and gone the next. I remember that'd been the time Ellis needed me the most. He'd cut his father off completely for six months and during that time I'd never seen a man so frozen in time. Everyone grieves in his or her own way and Ellis just happened to stop being himself. He didn't smile as much or crack jokes like he used to. He stopped talking to his friends and sometimes forgot to eat unless I made him. He wasn't mean or volatile like one would predict a grown man to act; instead he just wanted silence that way he could accept what was happening around him. When the funeral came and gone, Ellis had managed to speak to his father again and from there they slowly started to mend their relationship. Since then I knew Ellis vowed to never let the same thing happen to his father, that's why he liked to stay close, make sure he was taken care of even though Robert could very much take care of himself. He wasn't that old yet, the man woke up early every other morning and jogged around his neighborhood to keep himself fit.

"How long?" Ellis asked, finally breaking the silence.

Robert looked up at his son and shook his head. "Two weeks. I was hoping you and Melinda would come by to help us pack. It's a beautiful home we bought, there's a lot of land and the weather is perfect. Georgia is not that far from here."

Ellis nodded as if considering the prospect of his father moving was a good thing. "No. No, I won't help you."

He took his napkin from his lap and threw it on the table. "Are you done?" He asked me.

"Yeah, but—"

"We're leaving." He took my hand before I could protest.

Robert rose from his seat. "Ellis, please—"

"No, Dad. I just need some time." And then we were walking out of the restaurant. "Give me your keys." He said.

"No, I can drive."

"Melinda now is not the time." He didn't look angry, just tired and I didn't want to make him irritable, especially with me. I dug my keys out of my purse and handed them to him.

And we drove home in silence.