everything you asked me too. You wanted me to get a job, I got a job. You wanted to be able to have things the way they were, I can make them the way they were! I did everything you wanted!"
"How can I trust you?" Mary asked, "You abandoned me! Every day I worried that you were dead, and that it was my fault! Do you think I enjoyed that?"
"Of course not." Alex went from angry to guilty, "And I wish I didn't have to do that to you. But believe me, if I could have been here I would have been."
"So why weren't you? Why won't you tell me?" She was crying. All the tears she'd held back were bursting from her now.
Alex sighed. He ran his hand through his hair. For a moment, he just stood there, while Mary waited for an answer.
"Well, to get the job, I had to pull in a favor-"
"And getting this favor took you a week?" She couldn't keep the bitter anger out of her voice.
"You can't get a job at the Fairchild Memorial Aquarium without a really big favor." He continued, "I told you there weren't any jobs above menial labor but I pulled some strings and-"
"You needed a week? You needed to not contact me and tell me you were okay? For a week!" She was almost screeching now.
"Okay. I-" He gestured wildly with his hands and seemed to struggle with words, "It's just- I needed to- Well, I needed time. You know, after our fight. I just needed to think things through and so-"
"It's about you. Of course. It's always about you. And I'm supposed to just, just" She spat out words between sobs, "Just forgive you and pretend it didn't happen? Just run off and, and elope!"
"Mary." His voice cracked when he said her name, "Mary I swear, I love you. Can't you please believe that?"
"I don't know." She collapsed into a little pile, sobbing. It was all just too much.
In her mind, a storm was building. Lightning crackled and thunder boomed. The ocean was heaving, throwing itself violently on the shore. Angry, she shoved the intruding imagery from her mind.
He held her while she sobbed. "Mary. Mary. Please. I love you." He repeated, over an over again.
"If you love me, then leave." She found herself saying, voice hoarse with tears.
"How can I trust you?" Mary asked, "You abandoned me! Every day I worried that you were dead, and that it was my fault! Do you think I enjoyed that?"
"Of course not." Alex went from angry to guilty, "And I wish I didn't have to do that to you. But believe me, if I could have been here I would have been."
"So why weren't you? Why won't you tell me?" She was crying. All the tears she'd held back were bursting from her now.
Alex sighed. He ran his hand through his hair. For a moment, he just stood there, while Mary waited for an answer.
"Well, to get the job, I had to pull in a favor-"
"And getting this favor took you a week?" She couldn't keep the bitter anger out of her voice.
"You can't get a job at the Fairchild Memorial Aquarium without a really big favor." He continued, "I told you there weren't any jobs above menial labor but I pulled some strings and-"
"You needed a week? You needed to not contact me and tell me you were okay? For a week!" She was almost screeching now.
"Okay. I-" He gestured wildly with his hands and seemed to struggle with words, "It's just- I needed to- Well, I needed time. You know, after our fight. I just needed to think things through and so-"
"It's about you. Of course. It's always about you. And I'm supposed to just, just" She spat out words between sobs, "Just forgive you and pretend it didn't happen? Just run off and, and elope!"
"Mary." His voice cracked when he said her name, "Mary I swear, I love you. Can't you please believe that?"
"I don't know." She collapsed into a little pile, sobbing. It was all just too much.
In her mind, a storm was building. Lightning crackled and thunder boomed. The ocean was heaving, throwing itself violently on the shore. Angry, she shoved the intruding imagery from her mind.
He held her while she sobbed. "Mary. Mary. Please. I love you." He repeated, over an over again.
"If you love me, then leave." She found herself saying, voice hoarse with tears.
