Antebellum (58 page)

Theresa laughs, then starts to wash her hands.

“Come on, kids,” she says. “I don't want to be late for work.”

As the children start to eat faster, Xavier grumbles slightly under his breath, just loud enough for Theresa to hear.

“What is it, baby?”

“You know I don't like you working. I mean, we can get by on the money I'm still getting from the military. Why not just stay home with the kids?”

“Because I don't want to,” Theresa replies. “I love my job, and I'm doing just fine at being a mother and a working woman. You have a problem with that?”

“No. I just don't understand why you'd work, if you don't have to.”

“Well, I'll explain it later. Right now I have to drop off the kids and get to the office.”

Theresa rushes the children away from the table and tells them to get their bags and coats. Then she sidesteps Xavier and starts gathering papers from the nearby desk and puts them into a briefcase.

“Nobody tries to hit on you at your job, do they?” asks Xavier playfully.

“No, they wouldn't do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I'd fire them.”

Xavier walks up behind Theresa and slides his hands around her waist.

“You know I like a take charge kinda woman, right?”

Theresa turns around and smiles. “Well then, you'll love me tonight. I've been reading up some stuff in that book we got for our anniversary.

“Really...? And you can't take the day off to show me?”

“No, I can't. You'll just have to wait until tonight.”

Xavier turns around, playfully disappointed, but Theresa grabs his shoulders and makes him face her again. When he looks at her face, it is dead serious, and she stares deeply into his eyes, preparing to say words originating from her soul.

“I love you, Xavier.”

Whenever she says it like that, Xavier can never think of a way to respond in kind. He always tells her that he loves her back, but it never seems as powerful coming from him as it does from her.

“I love you, too.”

She stares into his eyes for one more second, then relaxes her demeanor and smiles. “Good. 'Cause I'd beat your ass if you didn't.”

Before Xavier can come back, the children rush downstairs with their things and yell to their mother that they are ready to go. Theresa throws on her coat, kisses Xavier goodbye, and makes her way toward the door.

“Bye, Daddy!” the children call out as Theresa opens the door.

“I'll see you all later.”

The door closes, and after a while Xavier hears the car starting, then pulling out from the driveway, and the family is gone.

Xavier sits down and finishes his breakfast, taking in the silence. He doesn't especially enjoy it. It reminds him of times past, where silence and darkness were his primary weapons. His house does a good job of overpowering these reminders, though. He can look up at the refrigerator and see pictures drawn by his children, of birds and pink flowers. He can taste the syrup that his wife wrote “I love you” on the pancake with. He can see his daughter's tiny shoes on the floor, with a picture of a female cartoon character on the sides and the bottom. His wife was right. There was a part of him, a big part of him, that missed his past. But it didn't compare to what he had now, and as long as nothing changed, he knew he would never go back.

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