177. How It Ends, Laura Wiess
I was setting the table for supper one night and my mother was making the pasta salad and I said real casually, "What would you do if Daddy ever cheated on you?"
And I dont know what I was expecting but it wasnt her easy "Divorce him."
"You would?" I said, shocked. "Just like that?"
"Of course," she said giving me a curious look. "Why, what did you think I would do?"
"Well, I dont know, but not that," I said. "You would break up our family?"
Oh my God, my mother hit the roof, and I was so not expecting it that I just stood there with my mouth hanging open.
"I cant stand that you just said that," she said, grabbing a bottle of Italian dressing by the neck and shaking it like she was trying to kill it. "If your father cheated on me, then he made the decision to risk every single thing we had together, knowing that this would destroy us, so no, Hanna, it wouldnt be me breaking up the family, it would be him."
"But you could forgive him," I said warily.
She snorted.."Why? Why would I want to live with a deliberate cheater and a liar and a betrayer, with someone who was willing to hurt me like that just to get off? No, i'm serious. Why would I? Why would I think so little of myself to do that? And how could I even stand to ook at him, not to mention touch him? No,.. we told each other way back in the beginning that there are several absolute relationship breakers and topping the list was cheating, so we both know that if either one of us did it, it would mean the end of everything."
"Really?" I said "So that means if you cheated, Daddy would divorce you?"
"Absolutely,.. and i would expect him to."
....
"WHat would you do if mommy cheated on you?" I said
"Beat the crap out of the guy and then divorce her," he said matter of factly.
"Do you believe in unconditional love?" I said.
"Only for you, kiddo." he said.
"Okay,... would you ever cheat on Mommy?"
"No," je said with absolute certainty. "No roll in the hay is worth losing what I've got."
And I dont know what I was expecting but it wasnt her easy "Divorce him."
"You would?" I said, shocked. "Just like that?"
"Of course," she said giving me a curious look. "Why, what did you think I would do?"
"Well, I dont know, but not that," I said. "You would break up our family?"
Oh my God, my mother hit the roof, and I was so not expecting it that I just stood there with my mouth hanging open.
"I cant stand that you just said that," she said, grabbing a bottle of Italian dressing by the neck and shaking it like she was trying to kill it. "If your father cheated on me, then he made the decision to risk every single thing we had together, knowing that this would destroy us, so no, Hanna, it wouldnt be me breaking up the family, it would be him."
"But you could forgive him," I said warily.
She snorted.."Why? Why would I want to live with a deliberate cheater and a liar and a betrayer, with someone who was willing to hurt me like that just to get off? No, i'm serious. Why would I? Why would I think so little of myself to do that? And how could I even stand to ook at him, not to mention touch him? No,.. we told each other way back in the beginning that there are several absolute relationship breakers and topping the list was cheating, so we both know that if either one of us did it, it would mean the end of everything."
"Really?" I said "So that means if you cheated, Daddy would divorce you?"
"Absolutely,.. and i would expect him to."
....
"WHat would you do if mommy cheated on you?" I said
"Beat the crap out of the guy and then divorce her," he said matter of factly.
"Do you believe in unconditional love?" I said.
"Only for you, kiddo." he said.
"Okay,... would you ever cheat on Mommy?"
"No," je said with absolute certainty. "No roll in the hay is worth losing what I've got."
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