“I haven’t heard you say it in so long.”
“And how does it make you feel to hear him say it now, Bonnie?” Daniel asked, shifting that concerned look to her.
“It makes me feel beautiful. And loved.”
Judas H. Priest, what was it with women? Of course he thought she was beautiful, the most beautiful woman in the entire fucking world!
“Aaron? Do you understand that Bonnie needs that sort of reinforcement from you?” Daniel asked carefully, as if he were speaking to a moron.
“Yes. I understand that I have to tell her five thousand times over that I think she’s beautiful, because I cannot trust her to remember it or believe it from one day to the next,” he groused, but his tone did not douse Bonnie’s pleased-as-punch smile in the least.
“As we have discussed, women respond to aural stimulation,” Daniel said, gesturing to his ears. “Talking and sharing feelings are important to them. When you have thoughts about Bonnie, they may not seem important to you, but they are very important to her. It’s just as I’ve suggested to Bonnie that for most men, doing is the preferred verb.”
“The preferred verb?”
“In other words,” Daniel said patiently, “Bonnie should show you more than tell you how she feels, because men respond to visual stimulation,” he said, gesturing to his eyes with two fingers. “But you should tell her, because women respond to aural stimulation.”
“The same is true for our daughters, honey,” Bonnie said.
“She’s right,” Daniel quickly added. “Your daughters will respond to a more sensitive, aural approach.”
“Whatever,” Aaron said.
Bonnie exchanged a look with Daniel. “So . . . for example, when you go and see Rachel over Thanksgiving, I think it would be very good for you to explain to her that you love her and you think she’s beautiful and you really care what she thinks. You know, have an exchange with her.”
“That’s an excellent suggestion, Bonnie,” Daniel the ass-kisser said. “What we’re saying here, Aaron, is that your daughters will really respond to conversation as opposed to dictation. They don’t necessarily like to be told what to do, but like most women, prefer to have a discussion and reach a consensus. The challenge for you, of course, is to take off your CEO hat and put on your daddy hat. Instead of issuing orders for the good of the company . . . or the daughter, as the case may be . . . try having a conversation and gently guide your daughter to reach a reasonable conclusion.”
No, the challenge for Aaron was not to punch the man’s lights out, a struggle that was becoming increasingly difficult with each session. But Bonnie was nodding so hard that she almost levitated out of her butterfly chair, and he wondered, like he always did in these situations, if he hadn’t been living on another planet all these years while the rest of the world was spinning around somewhere else to a completely different set of rules.
“Aaron?” Daniel said softly. “Do you think you can do that?”
“Hell yes I can do it,” he said irritably.
“Oh God, it’s a breakthrough!” Bonnie said dramatically, and looked to Daniel for confirmation.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Subject: Thanksgiving
From: Aaron Lear <[email protected]>
To: Rachel <[email protected]>
Hello Rachel. This is your father. I have tried to contact you by phone but you have not returned my calls. I am using this method to inform you that I intend to come to Providence on the morning of Thanksgiving. You are my daughter and you cannot shut me out of your life, no matter what you might believe, and therefore, avoiding me seems pretty futile to me. I am coming, and if you lock the door, remember that I have a key. If you disappear, I will wait until you come home. So instead of avoidance, let’s try to work together to resolve our differences. I look forward to seeing you. Love, Dad
Subject: FWD: [Thanksgiving]
From: <[email protected]>
To: Mom <[email protected] >
Mom is this your idea???? This marriage counseling is making you guys crazy! It’s making ME crazy!! Please don’t let Dad come here, I am begging you. We never do anything but fight and I do not want to fight with him. I’M NOT MAD! I AM BUSY! I really don’t want Dad to come, Mom. I am sorry if I am being a bad daughter but I’m sooo busy right now that I really don’t have time for all his bullshit. Please call him off!
Subject: RE: FWD: [Thanksgiving]
From: BonLear <[email protected] >
To: <[email protected]>
This is an automated message from Bonlear [email protected]:
I will be out of town from November 18 through November 30. If you need to contact me, please call my cell phone, 212-555-9035, and leave a message. Thank you, Bonnie Lear
Subject: Re: Thanksgiving
From: Rachel <[email protected]>
To: Aaron Lear <[email protected]>