“Really, Em! You can’t do that. You know nothing about farming. You barely know anything about how to run Michael’s estate or you wouldn’t be running out of money.” Emelina was stunned. Jeremy had never spoken to her like that before. If he was in a bad mood or tired from a bad shift, he might be a big snappy. He had always supported whatever she wanted to do until now. “I think I’d better go, Jeremy. I really thought you would be at least interested.” Putting her coat back on, she turned to leave. “I’ll be out at the Estate. If you want to know more about my new endeavour, you’ll know where to find me.” Her hand on the door, she turned back to him. “We can’t keep on like this. Every time I come in there is something bothering you. You won’t talk about it.” She looked at him, still wet from his shower, and sighed. “When you’re ready to talk….” She left their apartment, closed the door, stood still a moment before she went to the elevator. Whispering to herself she said “What will I tell the others?” Straightening her shoulders, she dried her eyes.
~~~~~
It was Jeremy’s turn to be stunned. No one had ever walked out on him without slamming a door. “Tone of voice, Jeremy.” That’s what his grandfather would have said without interrupting whatever he’d been doing. He also knew that his wife could and would do anything she set her mind to since the pandemic. And he let her go out the door. He was tired of apologizing for his bad temper. This time he had just been mean, even after seeing the sparkle in her eyes when she started telling him the plans she and Dez had. “What the hell is wrong with me?! All I wanted was one evening without someone shouting at me to fix someone, write orders, speak to a family, do this, do that.” Standing in the middle of the open apartment, its emptiness frightened him. Water dribbled from his hair, he shivered and pulled his bathrobe tight.
~~~~~
Em knew her husband was right. She didn’t know anything about farming and she barely knew how to run the Estate. She drove out of the city and turned onto the highway towards home. That didn’t mean she couldn’t learn, and he did know that. At first she had felt beaten down and wrong. Now she was angry. What right did he have to assume that she hadn’t given the farm a lot of thought. And where was he when she wanted to discuss it days ago! Sure he was a doctor and worked in a hospital. She’d heard all the sob stories about lousy shifts, other doctors mistakes, poor report from nurses but that didn’t give him the right to treat her like she was one of them. As she settled into the short drive home, her anger softened. She’d need to talk with Dez about it. Maybe tonight. Maybe she’d keep it all to herself and just go home to bed.
~~~~~
Dez could see headlights, the car was turning down the lane. “Wonder who that could be? Matt’s gone to his orchard, Martha and James are home having supper, Samuel’s still working in the garden and Cook has gone to get him for their supper, Em’s gone in to spend a couple of nights with Jeremy. But that looks like the vehicle Em took…….it is Em!” Her sister’s lights shone on Dez where she was sorting out where a Farmgate Stand could be. She pulled to the side of the lane, put it in park took her hands off the wheel. White knuckles, her hands sore, she stretched her fingers out. Dez knocked on the window, worried when she saw her sister’s red, wet face. “Em. Open the door! What’s wrong! Is it Jeremy? Is he hurt? Why are you back so soon?” Em did open the door and practically tumbled into her sister's arms. Sobbing, she just let her sister hold her. Dez glanced in both directions for any other vehicles coming. “Let’s get you sitting down, Em. Here, we’ve put a bench here where we think the Stand might be. Do you want to go home?” All her sister could do was shake her head. “But we can’t stay out here, it’s almost dark as it is and it’s pretty damp tonight. Why don’t I take you to my place and get you some hot tea. You can stay with me tonight. You don’t have to talk about any of it until you’re ready. Just let me know that Jeremy is ok.” Em nodded her head. Her voice low she said ‘He’s all right. I just don’t want to see him right now.” Dez had no idea what was going on, but she did know her sister needed her help. “Ok, come back to your car. I’ll drive and get you to my place.” Her sister looked up at her “Please don’t tell anybody any of this. It’s probably just me. Maybe he’ll come out and apologize.” She gave Dez her cell phone. “If he calls don’t answer it. If he calls your phone, just let him know I’m ok, if he wants to know.”
~~~~~
Jeremy had no close family or friends. His friends were the doctors and nurses he worked with but only at work. He didn’t know any of them outside work. Could he call James? Never. That would be crossing some kind of a line. Giles? He hardly knew him at all. Samuel? He wasn’t ready to hear some of his old time-y stories. He definitely couldn’t call Dez, that was really too close to home. Besides that Em would need her sister and he didn’t want to put Dez in the middle. That only left Matt. They were about the same age. Maybe they could meet for coffee. It wasn’t all that late, so he’d give it a try. Satisfied, he found his number and called. After the fourth ring, Matt answered.
~~~~~
“Every couple needs to argue now and then. Just to prove
that the relationship is strong enough to survive.
Long-term relationships, the ones that matter
are all about weathering the peaks and the valleys.’
~ Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven
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