Eva put Arden in the car and drove. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she just couldn't stay at the house. She hated it when they fought. Especially these fights, over nothing. It was a toilet. It had nothing to do with his manlyness or lack there of. She would just drive until she felt better.
"Momma?"
Eva looked over at Arden, raising her eyebrows. "Yes?"
"I'm hungry."
Eva nodded. "Okay. Dinner. We can stop somewhere. Eat. Relax."
"Momma?" Arden said again. Eva looked at him again. "I don't have any shoes on."
Eva burst of laughing. "Oops! Well, I never said I was a great mom, right?" she smiled. "I guess we do drive thru."
"You are a great mom. You are the best mom. Daddy is mean. He yells." Arden crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.
Eva sighed. "Oh, baby. It's not just your dad. I yell, too. And I know just how to make him mad. I knew the toilet would make him mad. I know what to say to make him yell even more. Don't blame him, okay? He works hard and he's tired. It's our job to keep him happy."
"But who's job is it to make US happy, Momma?"
Eva didn't answer, but in her mind, she saw a pair of brown eyes and a scruffy beard.
**************************
When Harry graduated, he found a job that was nearly exactly half way between her home town and their college town. He rented an apartment and convinced her to move in, to save money, he had said. Plus, they could practice being married. It would be fun, he said.
And it was. At first. Then she realized how messy Harry was. He didn't know how to do laundry. He didn't even seem to know how to put them in a laundry basket, leaving dirty clothes everywhere. He ate in front of the TV, leaving the dishes on the coffee table or side table. He threw trash him the sink. He had a habit of placing things near the trash can and not in the trash. He never helped to clean. He played video games constantly. When she asked him to help, he promised to try but, he explained, he'd never had to do these things before. His mother and sister did all of those things. They never asked him for help.
She'd grown up with a mother and a father who both took care of the house. If her mom cooked, her dad did the dishes. They both cleaned, taking a part of each Saturday to do chores, passing that idea onto Eva and her sister. When she explained this to Harry, he'd try to help, making more of a mess than before.
Her mother and father also spent time together. They were always together. They went shopping together. They went to the gym together. In their free time, they sat together and read. They skied, camped and traveled together. They just seemed to like each other. She expected her own marriage to be that way. She had asked her mother how they had worked out all of these things. How did they decide who did what and when? Her mother didn't understand that question. It's just how it always was. At first, they had rough patches, but things just fell into place, she said. It was all about compromise. If she was truly unhappy, he mother warned, she needed to fix it now. People didn't change, her mother warned. If she wanted a happy marriage, she needed to have a happy relationship. Wedding vows didn't change things, it just made them permanent.
Harry didn't spend time with her anymore. He played his games and he worked. Sometimes they would go to the movies, but they were always his picks. No more romantic comedies. No Harry Potter. She watched TV alone. He didn't even pretend to like the same shows as she did anymore. She read alone. Everything she did, she did alone. He didn't even come to bed with her anymore.
But, she loved him. When they did spend time together, he was the old Harry, funny, smart. He still opened doors for her. He always asked how she was, how her day was. And he did love her. She knew he did. He told her all the time that he loved her. He made love to her, always making sure she was happy, comfortable, satisfied.
So, she made a choice. She wanted to marry him. She wanted to be Mrs. Harry Styles. If it meant that she was going to do the cooking and cleaning, then that was the way it was going to be. She needed to except. If she didn't want that, then she needed to break it off now and she didn't want to do that. She didn't want to be alone. She never thought of herself as pretty. Her eyes were too big and her hair was a curly mess. She'd only had one other boyfriend in her entire life and she hadn't even really like him, she just wanted a boyfriend and to feel normal.
So, she married him. She graduated in April and was married in May. They had a beautiful wedding with a reception at her grandfather's country club. For a wedding gift, her grandfather had gotten them a membership and paid for five years. It was everything she wanted.
They bought a house just down the street from the middle school that hired her. It was tiny and perfect, just right for two people. They were happy. She excepted that she was going to be in charge of the house and spend a lot of time alone. That's just how it was.
***********************
Harry was playing his games in the mancave when they returned home. She helped Arden shower and get into bed. Then she went to bed with her cellphone.
Eva: So, when is the first practice?
Liam: Thursday. We are going to do Tuesday, Thursday with games on Saturday. We get to practice right at the school.
Eva: Okay. Sounds great.
Liam: Are you okay? I thought I heard yelling?
Eva: I'm fine.
Liam: U sure?
Eva: Yep. See you tomorrow.
Eva cried herself to sleep.