I have had the same daily routine for the last 10 years. Wake up, get ready and begin my long day devoted to caring for others. Family has always come first, that's the way it must be. It's my job as the woman of the house to do everything I can to make sure my husband and children are happy, no matter what it takes. And up until two months ago, I was happy to do my job. Then I wasn't.
I have had the same daily routine for the last 10 years. Wake up, get ready and begin my long day devoted to caring for others. Family has always come first, that's the way it must be. It's my job as the woman of the house to do everything I can to make sure my husband and children are happy, no matter what it takes. And up until two months ago, I was happy to do my job. Then I wasn't. It had been a regular Tuesday morning. I woke up at 7:00 a.m. sharp, showered, and started making breakfast. The kids were supposed to have been ready 15 minutes before the bus so we were running late. Jack, my husband, had been reading the newspaper when he announced suddenly ¨You know Diane, I work too much for this damned family. I don't understand what's so hard about getting the kids ready on time. I mean its not rocket science, how dumb can you possibly be?¨. He had always said cruel things to me, but never in front of the children. It shocked me still, frozen in front of the crackling eggs. The kids put their heads down and ate quietly, afraid to upset their father. My lip quivered. ¨My mistake honey, I guess my mind has been a bit fuzzy today¨. He cocked his head and went on with his reading. That motion there sent a feeling of unusual fury through my body. My knuckles turned white, a stark contrast against the black handle of the pain. The sky seemed less blue and the lovely chirps of the birds outside had turned into screams. The squeaking of over used brakes broke my fog, the bus was here. I turned around and forced a smile on my face. ¨Okay guys, let's go to school!¨ The kids seemed to perk up at the cheer in my voice and gathered their things. I ushered them to the door and watched as their curly blonde heads raced to the bus outside. I stood there a moment, admiring the way they laughed and giggled. They were good kids, I was lucky. The air shifted and the presence of another body clouded my conscience. ¨Something about you lately has really been pissing me off.¨ Jack grabbed my wrist and ripped me around to face him. ¨I don't know what it is, but you better figure it out.¨ He got close then, I could smell the coffee tinted with whiskey on his breath. ¨Because if you don't, something really bad might happen.¨ Our eyes locked, blue against brown but they looked black, evil. My face would not soften, it was strong, fighting against the power of his stare. He gave it a few seconds waiting to see what mine would reveal. Unsatisfied, he peeled back, gave me a onceover, and promptly grabbed his keys and walked out the door. I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding. It had gotten so much worse, and I hadn't even realized. Jack had always been a drinker, using it to cope with the stress of work here and there. We used to drink together, not heavily but just enough to melt the worries away every so often. But now it was different, it was being abused. After all the insults, nasty looks, and cold shoulders, this incident is what broke me. How dare he threaten me. After everything I do and work tirelessly for, in the sake of raising our children. I had finally had enough. So, I began to think and think. I glanced out the window and noticed the tree. There was a pile of chopped wood, and among it was an axe. I saw then, what I needed to do. God Forbid, he got tired of abusing me and decided to move onto the children. I had a plan, and all that was left to do was wait. The kids had gotten home at around 3:30. We played, did homework, and made dinner together. It was peaceful and carefree, I wanted this for them. They deserved to not be afraid to speak freely at home, and I was furious that he had taken that away. Dessert was a special treat that night, apple pie with ice cream, Jack hated pie so we normally never ate it. But I was not afraid of upsetting him, my mind was clear and on track. They wondered why I put them to bed a bit earlier, but they didn't argue. With a kiss on each of their cheeks and little bodies tucked in tightly, they drifted off quickly. I assumed my normal position on the couch with a book in hand and waited. The time on the clock seemed to speed up, but I was not nervous. Not even for a second. The crunching of tries on gravel broke my stare, I was ready. He walked through the door briskly and put his things down. My hand gripped the handle from under the pillows. Jack started towards me and my arm began to move. I noticed then the plethora of colors in his hand. Flowers, he had gotten me flowers. ¨Diane, I know. It was too far this time. I'm sorry, so sorry.¨ there was sincerity in his voice. A kind I had never heard from him before. His face held sadness and regret. I softened the grip on the axe. ¨Okay.¨ I said softly. ¨It won't happen again¨ it was a promise. The weapon resumed its position in hiding and I embraced him. For now it's where it will stay. For now there would be no violence. But when the time came, I would be ready. It's my job to protect my family, no matter what it takes.
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