Chapter Six
“Hi, Shannon.” Nick said, walking into the living room in Shannon and Brian’s house.
“Hey Nick.” She said from where she sat on the edge of the couch, playing with the triplets. “How’re you doing?”
“I’ve been better.” He said, sitting down on the couch next to her. He reached down and picked up Anne, who was nearest to him. “You wanted to talk to me?”
“Yeah, I did…” she looked at him for a long moment before speaking again. “It’s about Drew.”
Nick sighed. “I thought it might be.”
“What’s going on with the two of you, Nick? Drew is saying that you’re never home, and that it doesn’t seem like you’re making any effort to get home more often.”
“She’s saying that?” Nick seemed surprised. “I never knew that part of it. I knew that she was feeling a little neglected, but…” he trailed off.
“Why don’t you do something about it? Why are you away from home so often? I mean, I understand most of it, but Brian gets home every so often, even if it’s just for one night.” Shannon sat back on the couch with Joseph in her lap and Thomas on the couch between them, playing with his toes.
“I…” he paused to take a deep breath. “I’ve been working on a surprise for her. I just don’t know how to do it without making her even more mad at me.”
Shannon shook her head at her best friend’s husband. You two are quite the pair, she thought to herself. “What’s the surprise?”
“I wrote a song for her and the girls, and I’m spending my free time lately trying to get it recorded.” Nick explained.
“That’s really sweet of you, hon,” Shannon said with a smile. “I’m sure she’ll love it. But you’re still going to have to call her more often.”
“I know.” He admitted with a sigh.
A couple of hours later, Shannon was sitting in front of her computer. The kids were in bed, and she was checking her email. She knew she would have a message from Drew, asking for her advice.
“Someone should talk to him and make him realize how good he has it. He has two beautiful daughters and a wife who is willing to stay home and take care of everything for him…” Drew wrote in her letter. Shannon smiled and began to write back and tell her about the conversation that she had had with Nick.
She sent the letter when it was completed, and a few moments later, her phone rang. She picked it up immediately. “Hi Drew.”
“How did you know it was me?” Drew asked.
“Because I had just sent you my reply and I knew that you would call when you read it.” Shannon answered. “And because I’m just a little bit psychic.”
“More like psycho.” Drew muttered. “You’re just lucky that it was me and not a job offer or something.”
“Yeah, well. I’m still on maternity leave. It wouldn’t have done too much harm.”
“Okay, enough idle chatter.” Drew interrupted. “You talked to Nick.”
“Yes, hon. I did.”
“I don’t care that he’s writing a song!” Drew burst out. “It’s a really sweet gesture, but if he really wanted to show me how much he cared, he should get his ass home more often! I don’t care about the song, I care about seeing my husband!”
Shannon sighed. “I know, Drew, I know. I don’t know what to tell you.”
“I know you don’t. You have the perfect marriage.” Drew ignored the snort from Shannon. “But it’s getting to the point where I’m thinking that maybe we can’t stay together.”
“My parents just about got divorced!?” Asia exclaimed. “But…”
“Both of your parents are much too stubborn for their own good, Asia.” Shannon said. “Neither of them can admit it when they’re wrong, even if it hits them across the head.”
“And they don’t even have the excuse that they’re Irish like you.” A voice said from the doorway. All of them looked up in surprise and saw Brian leaning against the doorframe.
“Or you.” Shannon countered.
“True.” He shrugged and pushed himself off the doorframe. “I guess I’m just as bad.”
She smiled at him tenderly. “How long had you been standing there?” she asked as he approached.
“Oh, not too long.” He grinned. “Just long enough to hear that my son thinks that Nick’s singing was mine.” He winked at Joseph as he blushed.
“Why are you home so early?” Shannon asked, and lifted her face up for a kiss.
He obliged and leaned down to press a tender kiss on her lips, then sat down next to her. “I heard about all the fun you were having and didn’t want to be left out.”
“I’m glad that you’re here.” She answered, slipping her hand into his.
“So, where were you?” he brought the conversation back to the story at hand.
“Talking about how stubborn Uncle Nick and Auntie Drew are.” Kealea answered. “And I want to know what happens next!”
“Well,” Shannon began. “I let Drew rant for a little while about how she didn’t think that it was working out, but that she loved Nick so much, but… Then, when she paused for breath, I tried to talk some sense into her.”
“Drew, don’t even joke about divorce! Are you nuts?” Shannon said in exasperation.
“No, I’m not. I don’t really want a divorce, I just think it’s the only option right now.” Drew responded with a sigh.
“It’s not the only option, Drew. It’s a last-ditch option, and I won’t let you take until you’ve exhausted all your other, more reasonable options.”
“But…”
“No, Drew.” Shannon cut her off. “Have you talked to Nick about the way you’re feeling?”
“How can I?” Drew exclaimed. “I never hear from him! How on earth could I talk to him about this? I’ve even tried calling his cell. You know who answered? Denise! What’s the use of having a cell if he doesn’t even keep it with him?”
Shannon chuckled. “I don’t know, hon.” She paused to think for a moment. “If you’re serious about wanting to talk to him and work things out, I might have a solution.” She waited for a response.
“Of course I’m serious!” Drew exclaimed. “Tell me already!”
“You could call Bri’s cell. I know that he always keeps his cell on him, and Nick’s usually not too far from Brian.”
“Ain’t that the truth?” Drew chuckled bitterly. “You know what? I think it’s sick how your husband seems to see mine more than me.”
“Trust me, I’m not thrilled about it either.” Shannon commiserated.
“So how did the two of them make up?” Anne asked. “Obviously they did, ‘cause they’re still together now.”
“Well,” Brian began, looking at Shannon for permission to continue the story. When she nodded, he went on. “Your mother tried, for about a month, to mediate between the two of them. She’d talk to Drew, then she’d talk to Nick, then back to Drew. After a while, though, she started to get really frustrated, because it didn’t look like they were making any progress.
“Finally, when I was home for a surprise visit, I made her tell me what was bothering her. I didn’t tell her that I already knew about the problems from Nick, because I had a feeling if I told her what I knew, she’d automatically tell Drew.”
“He was right, I would have.” Shannon interjected.
“So I just convinced her to keep talking with Drew and to try to get her talking with Nick again.” Brian continued.
“And did it work?” Kevlee asked.
“Yes, it did, though not in the way that I was expecting.” Shannon admitted.
Shannon sat with her head in her hands, listening to Drew talk about her floundering relationship with Nick.
“Nick absolutely flipped when he found out that I met with Grant by myself. It’s not like I did anything I shouldn’t have!”
Shannon looked up at her in surprise. “You’re kidding me, right? You’re telling me that you met with your ex-boyfriend, who still has a thing for you after you promised me and Nick that you wouldn’t, which risked both your marriage and your daughters, and you didn’t do anything you shouldn’t have!?” she looked at Drew in exasperation. “Sometimes I think that a good whack about the head would do you a lot of good. Maybe even knock some sense into you.”
Drew sighed. “All I did was meet with an old friend who is my ex, yes, but I never meant for anything to come from it. Really. I didn’t leave Nick and the girls for Grant. Calm down. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but I do love my husband. I love him very much and would never leave him for another guy. Especially for a guy I dumped to be with Nick.” She explained.
“I have a question for you, Drew.” Shannon said seriously. “If it doesn't seem to me that you love your husband, how on earth is he supposed to know?” Drew opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off. “No. Listen to me. You really have to stop being so damn proud. Stop thinking about "you" and start thinking "we". Tell him that you still love him. Tell him that you realize that you were stupid to see Grant but that it didn't mean anything. Tell him that you want to save your marriage. When you ask a question, start actually listening to what he says.”
Drew looked at her for a long moment. “That makes sense, but all we seem to do lately is argue. But maybe that’s a good thing too, because we say things that wouldn’t be said otherwise.”
“Think about this for a minute, Drew. If you wouldn’t say something in a normal conversation, it shouldn’t be said in anger. You can’t take these things back, you know.”