Marriage Matters

Twenty-five

Chloe’s cell phone rang on the El train. To her delight, it was Geoff. He’d called a couple of times in the past few days, but she’d been at her internship or in class. Then, he’d missed her return calls because he was always with a patient.

“Hi,” she shouted. “Sorry it’s so loud. I’m on the train.” The El clanked and vibrated as the city rushed by the window in a metallic blur.

“Would you like to join us at the park?” Geoff shouted back. “In about twenty minutes?”

“I can’t.” Disappointed, her eyes fell on an abandoned newspaper on the train seat. An ad was facing up, with a happy couple jogging together along the beach. “I’ve got to prep for midterms.”

“What’s the topic?” In the background, Mary Beth screamed something about ice cream.

“Intervention methods.” Chloe splayed her fingers like Whiskers sometimes did with her paws. Her hands were sore. Probably from writing too many papers.

“Ah, yes.” Geoff’s voice was warm. “I can intervene with the best of them.” She smiled, cradling the phone against her ear. “Come to the park,” he said. “I’ll give you a private lesson.”

Chloe studied her reflection in the door of the train. She was carting around a huge book bag and her hair fell in a frazzled ponytail, but her eyes were bright and lively. Geoff’s words came back to her, from that day in his office: Slow down, enjoy your life.

“Okay,” she said, surprising herself. “But only if we can get ice cream.”

* * *

Chloe raced the few blocks from the train to the popular playground, her book bag banging against her side. Geoff looked completely out of place in a tweed jacket, but this time it was Mary Beth who took the cake. She was wearing a white party dress and a pair of white patent leather shoes, completely inappropriate for the dirt and dust of the park.

“Wow.” Chloe nodded. “Are we going to an open call for Toddlers & Tiaras after this?”

Geoff turned. To her surprise, he looked exhausted, with a five o’clock shadow and dark circles under his eyes. “She wouldn’t stop screaming until I let her pick the outfit. I finally had to give in.”

“Good tactic.” Chloe laughed. “I should have tried that on my mother when I was a kid.”

The summer after kindergarten, Chloe had begged Kristine to let her pick out her own outfit for school. She had the perfect vision in mind: a hot pink swimsuit, rubbery yellow rain boots and her favorite pair of bedazzled fairy wings. She’d failed to negotiate the swimsuit or the rain boots but Kristine did let her wear the wings.

Geoff smiled at the story. “Your mother sounds very understanding.”

“She’s great, but . . .” Chloe pretended to cringe. “She was right to try and rein me in.”

Geoff got the message. “You’ve seen how that goes. I can’t do it.”

“Of course you can.” Chloe nudged him. “You’re a psychologist. Duh.”

The duh dropped out of her mouth like a piece of chewing gum and immediately, Chloe felt stupid. Luckily, Geoff seemed too dazed to notice.

“Theory versus practice,” he said. “Last night, it took me three hours just to get her to go to bed. She slept for five hours and had me up at six this morning.” Mary Beth ran back and forth across the top of a bridge on the jungle gym, no exhaustion in sight. “Honestly, I’m too tired to fight her.”

“Can I ask . . . where’s Mary Beth’s mother?”

Geoff set his jaw. “California.”

Chloe stared at the patches of sun on the ground and the way they made long shadows out of the playground equipment and group of kids. One thing she’d learned in her psychology classes was that typically people would talk if you’d just let them. With that in mind, she waited.

Eventually, Geoff let out a small sigh. “In my professional opinion she suffered from postpartum. She wouldn’t hold Mary Beth and didn’t want anything to do with her. But in my personal opinion . . .” Pain etched across his handsome face. “Maybe she left because she wasn’t in love with me anymore.”

Chloe’s heart ached for both of them. Watching the little girl run back and forth, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to grow up without a mother. It was impossible to imagine. Between Kristine and June, Chloe had more mother than she knew what to do with.

Chloe had always been lucky enough to have a family that cared about her, which was part of the reason she went into art therapy. It broke her heart to see kids who were neglected, unloved and abused. The chance to coax these kids into a safe place, to help them express their feelings with a paintbrush or markers or even chalk, made her feel like she was giving back the love her family had given to her.

“It’s been a very difficult time,” Geoff said. Turning to Chloe, he put a hand on her arm. “I know seeing each other might be slightly complicated, but I’m delighted you’re giving me a chance.”

Chloe was surprised. “Uh, I’m the one who’s . . . delighted. You’re kind of a big deal.”

Geoff smiled. “And you’re beautiful.”

“I’m a mess,” she said, embarrassed. “I haven’t slept in days, my hair’s all frazzled . . .”

“You look beautiful,” he repeated. Looping an arm around her shoulder, Geoff pulled her in close. Chloe thought he was going to kiss her, but Mary Beth made short work of that idea.

“Daddy!” Ripping off a patent leather shoe, she flung it at Geoff’s face. It hit him square in the jaw, just missing Chloe.

The other kids at the park gave up a collective gasp. Mary Beth was obviously In. For. It.

Dropping Chloe’s hand, Geoff took a step away. “I’m so sorry. Mary Beth must feel threatened.” Walking toward the jungle gym, he called, “Honey, let’s go get that ice cream.”

Ice cream seemed to be Geoff’s go-to parenting move. And it was all wrong, as the women at the park were quick to point out.

“Ice cream? Hell no.” A heavyset mother glared at Geoff. “Don’t you set a bad example in front of my kids.” The woman shook a thick finger at her daughter, as if her daughter had done something wrong. “You don’t get ice cream after that.”

The other parents nodded. Delighted to have everyone’s attention, Mary Beth took off her other shoe and whipped it at Chloe. Catching it, she considered her options.

Kids needed security. They needed boundaries. Even though Chloe wanted Geoff to like her, letting Mary Beth run wild wasn’t helping anyone. Especially not Mary Beth. “Geoff, can I please have your permission to get your daughter under control?”

“Fine.” His expression was as petulant as Mary Beth’s. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“You’re doing good,” Chloe fibbed. “I’m just going to talk to her.” Turning toward the monkey bars, she roared, “Young lady, you get over here this instant.”

Instinctively, the other kids scattered to the far side of the play area. Mary Beth remained on the jungle gym. She tugged at her tights as though planning to whip them at Chloe, too.

“I am going to count to three,” Chloe warned. “If you are not down here in three seconds, you will be in huge trouble. One . . .”

Mary Beth cocked her head.

“Two.” Chloe took a menacing step forwards. “Two and a half . . .” She frowned at the young girl. “Mary Beth, if I get to three, you had better believe you’ll regret it.”

“Just go,” a little brown-haired kid whispered. He glanced over at a woman who must be his mother. She was sitting on a bench and watching him with a no-nonsense look on her face.

“Two and three quarters . . .” She moved toward the bars. Mary Beth let out a squeal. Sliding down a metal pole, she stalked up to Chloe.

Chloe pointed to the shoe lying in the dirt. “Go pick it up.”

Mary Beth let out a huff but walked over and picked it up. Chloe snatched it away.

“Now, little girls who throw shoes do not get to wear them until they apologize. Go sit on that bench.” She pointed at a seat next to the stern mother. “When you’re ready to apologize, you come over and talk to me.” Facing Geoff, she murmured, “Do not look at her until she comes back over here.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe watched as Mary Beth took a seat on the bench. She kicked her feet against the ground until the mother next to her gave a warning look. Mary Beth huffed and watched the other kids playing. Finally, she got up and walked back over to them.

“I’m sorry I threw the shoe at your head, Daddy.” Mary Beth tugged at her party dress, her lower lip practically hitting the ground.

Geoff’s eyes were surprised. “Thank you. For your apology.”

“Mary Beth, what else are you sorry for?” Chloe asked, her voice gentle.

Mary Beth rubbed her hand across her nose. “That I threw a shoe at your head.” She turned her attention back to her father and gazed up at him with big green eyes. “I love you, Daddy.”

Geoff bent down and pulled her into a hug. “I love you, too.”

To her surprise, Chloe felt a lump in the back of her throat. Swallowing hard, she glanced around the playground. The other mothers were nodding.

“Alright.” Chloe patted Mary Beth on the back. “It’s alright.”

Beaming, Mary Beth ran to the monkey bars and played with a new vigor.

The admiration in Geoff’s eyes was genuine. “That was impressive.”

“Kids want boundaries.” Chloe shrugged. “You just have to give them some.”

He cleared his throat. “Would you like to go for dinner with us? After this?”

She had at least four hours of reading to do and a paper to write. But for the first time in her life, all of that seemed less important than the person standing right in front of her. “I’d love to,” she said. “But if Mary Beth’s good, I want to get her a cookie, first. But no ice cream.”

Geoff gave her a sly look. “Positive reinforcement for my little serial killer?”

Chloe grinned. “You got it.”