Marriage Matters

Sixty-one

The doorbell chimed and June wiped her hands on her apron. Kristine was working at the store and Charley was at the country club for his poker game. June wondered if it was a deliveryman, with yet another present. Even though she and Charley had not registered, it seemed that everyone in town had decided to send over a token or a trinket anyway.

At first, June had considered sending the gifts back. This was the second marriage for each and they certainly didn’t need anything. She hated for people to waste their money. But as the silver picture frames, monogrammed hand towels and wine goblets arrived, she found something very special about each item. They symbolized the life that she and Charley were building together.

Sliding open the peephole, June was surprised to see her son-in-law standing on her doorstep. He was wearing a heavy brown coat, jeans and a pair of tan worker boots. The navy stocking cap pulled low over his forehead made him look like a criminal, not a successful plant manager. June shook her head. No matter how he tried to play it, Kevin was a worker. That’s who he’d always been.

June eased open the door and kissed him hard on each fleshy cheek. “Kristine’s not here. She’s working at the store.”

Kevin’s face was ruddy not just from the cold, she saw, but from emotion. “Actually, June,” he said. “I’m here to see you.” He bowed his head, the muscle in his cheek working. “I . . .”

June pulled her sweater around her, surprised. Kevin rarely came to visit her. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time. A cab drove by on the street, honking angrily at another car blocking his way. Stepping aside, she gestured at Kevin.

“Come in, come in.” She stepped back into the hallway, watching as he closed the door behind him. The move was hesitant, as though he wanted to leave it open for a clean getaway. Finally, he pulled it shut and locked it. “Would you like a drink?” she asked. “I could make coffee?”

Kevin shook his head. Peeling off his cap, he stuffed it into the pocket of his jacket. Then, he made his way to the parlor, where he collapsed in a Taurean chair much too small for his frame.

June bustled over to the couch and took a seat. Her son-in-law sat in silence, clearing his throat. His mouth worked to say something again and again, but the words wouldn’t come.

“The longer we sit here, the older I get,” June chirped. “Let’s move it along.”

He let out a hearty sigh. “June,” he said, running the heel of his hand over his eyes. “When I first met you, I didn’t like you very much. In fact, I didn’t like you one bit.”

“Oh?” She shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“No, I’m sorry,” he said. “Because as the years went on, not only did I grow to like you, I grew to respect you.”

She let out a tiny breath. Good. He’d frightened her for a moment.

“I appreciated the way you always told it how it was. I’m here today”—Kevin adjusted his form and the chair creaked—“because I need you to tell me exactly how it is.”

June was stunned into silence. This proud, hulking man had come to her for advice? This, after years of insisting that she butt out and let him run his family his own way?

“Hmmph,” she said. “I rather don’t know what to say.” She took a tissue out of the pocket of her wool vest, folded it neatly, then put it right back into her pocket.

“Wouldn’t that just be the icing on the cake.” Kevin ran his hands over his face. “For the first time in the history of man, when I actually come to you for advice, you have nothing to say.”

June raised her eyebrows. “What’s on your mind?”

Pulling his hat out of his pocket, he rolled it over and over in his hands. “I need you to tell me what to do. Because . . . Because I love your daughter more than anything in this world and I don’t want to lose her. And I’m about to lose her, June. I know I am.”

As much as June wanted to debate this point, it was more than obvious that something was wrong with Kristine. She’d been pale and agitated ever since Kevin had gotten this new promotion. She wouldn’t go so far as to say that Kevin was about to lose Kristine but . . . maybe he knew something June did not.

“Kristine told me about your job,” she said carefully. “Congratulations.”

Kevin didn’t say anything. He just looked at her.

“I understand that you want to provide for your family, Kevin. I understand that you have some enormous responsibilities, with Chloe in school and Kristine running that store. But why do you insist on making your work more important than your family?”

Kevin opened his mouth to speak, but June was not quite finished. He had asked her a direct question and she was going to answer it.

“If you were my husband, I would be very confused,” she said. “On one hand, you tell me you love me. On the other, you put work before your family. Why would you do that, unless . . .” June put her hand to her mouth. It was like that moment when she’d solved one of her mysteries. Suddenly, she knew exactly what was going on. “Of course.”

June thought about the ease at which Kevin accepted her offer to pay for the wedding, the jokes he made about Chloe keeping her scholarship, the panic that crossed his face every time Kristine mentioned that store.

“It’s money.” She lowered her hand, staring at her son-in-law. “You’re in a terrible spot. Is that correct?”

Coughing to cover up his emotion, he nodded.

June’s heart sunk. This from the man who had always been too proud to ask for anything. The man who had gone above and beyond to make sure that he could provide for his wife on his own. She couldn’t believe it.

“Kevin, what happened?”

He shook his head. “I was just trying to catch up. And everything went to shit.” He tugged at the cap. “When I couldn’t get a job, we dug into our retirement account. Then, when I got a job—finally—I asked our guy to make some big moves. To get us caught back up.” Kevin wiped his hand across his face. “The market crashed and . . .” He blew out a deep breath. “That was the end of that. I was so stupid.”

“You certainly were not stupid,” she said. “Everyone lost a lot of money. You did nothing wrong.”

“I did, though,” Kevin insisted. “I should have been patient. Just done some honest work, for honest pay. But I got greedy. And . . .” He closed his eyes, as though in pain. “I never told her. I was so afraid she was going to lose that store. She’d just opened it and . . .”

June looked at him in astonishment. Kristine didn’t know? This man had been going through all this and his wife didn’t even know? For heaven’s sake.

“When were you planning to tell her?” June demanded.

Kevin wrapped the hat around his hand like a tourniquet. “I was going to, but . . . You know how that is. You don’t say anything when it happens and then it’s too late. And I was fixing it. I am fixing it . . .” A flash of pride crossed his face. “I had built everything back up pretty good but then this promotion came along. Huge salary, huge 401(k). It’s exactly what we need.”

June raised her eyebrows. “Is it?” she asked, her voice quiet.

He looked at the floor.

June studied her son-in-law for a long moment. “I’m disappointed in you, Kevin. Not because you lost money, as everyone else did during that time, but because you didn’t trust Kristine enough to let her go through this with you. The whole richer or poorer thing? That’s in there for a reason.”

“I didn’t want her to think of me like that,” he growled. “So weak. Such a loser.”

“Kevin,” she snapped, “wake up. You want me to tell you like it is? It’s like this: I have watched you spend your entire marriage trying to prove to Kristine that you are better than the guy she married. But there was a reason she married you. She loved you. You. Not the person you wanted to become, but the man who you’ve always been.”

He looked surprised. “You really think that about me, June?”

“If you simply must fish for compliments,” she said, “then yes. Yes, I do.”

Kevin’s face worked with emotion. He cleared his throat.

“If you don’t want to lose your wife,” June said, “you need to be honest with her. Talk to her. Tell her everything that’s happened and find a way to meet in the middle. But you better do it quickly because I’ll tell you this much . . .” She swallowed hard. “I’ve never seen my daughter so unhappy. If you don’t work things out, I have no idea how much time the two of you will have left.”

“Are you going to tell her that I was here?” he asked. “What I said?”

In the past, yes. June would have called her daughter immediately and repeated his every word. But now, she planned to honor the promise she’d made to Charley. That she would let her family solve their problems on their own.

“No.” June reached out and patted his hand. “No, I am not.” Oddly, it felt good to say this and mean it. “You can fix this, Kevin. I know you can. You don’t need my help.”

They got to their feet and he hugged her. “Thanks, June,” he said. “I’ll do my best.”

“Now.” She straightened. “You’re staying in town? Until after our engagement party?”

Kevin shook his head. “Flying out tonight, coming back the afternoon of the party.”

June paused. “Oh. I thought . . .”

Kristine had specifically asked Kevin to not fly in that same day. With the weather, it was too risky that his flight would get delayed. She didn’t want him to miss the party.

“It’ll be okay,” Kevin said, as though reading her mind. “I’ll be there, Cupcake. You can count on that.”

After giving her a kiss on the cheek, Kevin left her house as quickly as he came. June picked up a coffee cup and placed it in the dishwasher. Walking around, she couldn’t help but notice that the house suddenly seemed very empty without him.