This choice: Option 2 - quarreling lovers • Go Back...Chapter #2Quarreling lovers by: Kirafair   Mary Simms sat at her desk completing the last of several pages of documents. With a weary sigh, she closed the folder from her most recent pair of patients. When Mary chose to utilize her degree in Psychology to forge a career as a marriage counselor, she had looked forward to helping people navigate life as a couple. She truly believed she was good in her role. Mary just wished there was not as much paperwork involved with the job. Obtaining pre-authorizations (PA) to begin therapy, filing out progress notes, and the endless billing. It seemed a quarter of her job involved working with health insurance providers.
She opened the file for the next appointment. Another young couple having issues. Mary immediately checked to see if the PA was approved. After all, it was only fair she be reimbursed properly for her time. She noted that not only had it been approved, the provider was one she didn’t mind dealing with. Her eyes scanned the forms the couple had filled out. The insurance was under the husband, one David Martin. Her guess that his employer must provide better benefits was confirmed when she checked that the wife, Diana Martin was a school teacher.
Mary shook her head sadly. Diana fulfilled such a vital role in society and was treated little better than some one cooking French fries at a fast food restaurant. She got up from her desk and went to welcome the Martins. Hopefully she could get to the root of their problems and tally another successful save of a marriage.
She asked the couple to join her in the office. Not surprisingly, they sat on the leather couch as far from one another as physically possible. Mary’s experienced eye saw the classic body language from David. He was clearly reluctant to be here. She grabbed a small notebook and sat opposite them. Mary looked at Diana and bade her to describe a little about herself. As usual, the young woman was more open and willing to elaborate on their issues. As Diana talked, Mary scribbled down some brief notes
Diana.
24 years old.
3rd Grade teacher
3 siblings. All younger. Parents / married. Live an hour away
Long straight black hair.
Some Latino heritage?
More outgoing personality
Appears physically fit but claims she doesn’t like to work out
Places importance on appearance. Organized
Many issues. Loss of passion in love life. Lack of respect and understanding of her
Mary found the comment about lack of understanding interesting. David looked to be a typical Caucasian male. Surname suggested English ancestry. Mary would have thought he would interested in learning more about his wife owing their different cultural backgrounds.
Getting David to open up was more difficult. She had to ask more direct questions.
David
24 years old.
Engineer
1 Sibling / younger. Parents / divorced. Live in city
Short brown hair.
Well groomed. Necessary for his job as a manager at manufacturing facility?
Reserved personality. Unrelated to counseling session
Physically fit. Claims he works out every day.
Doesn’t understand why Diana is mad at him. Hates being here
Every couple Mary had ever worked with was unique but David and Diana shared many similarities with them. She looked at David.
“So you contend you’re happy with your love life” she asked pointedly
He squirmed with the directness of the question.
“Well yeah. We make love a couple times a week” he said sheepishly.
On the other end of the couch, Diana was glaring at him with both arms folded across her chest. Mary didn’t need a college degree to tell Diana was of a different mind on this subject.
“You may call it love but I feel like I’m a piece of meat” she spat out venomously.
Mary furiously scribbled notes as the two started bickering. At least they were talking now.
*****
After the session, David and Diana headed back to the one bedroom apartment they rented. The atmosphere in their car could be aptly described as chilly and the air conditioning wasn’t even on. He gripped the steering while tightly wondering why he had even agreed to see a counselor as Diana wanted. The last hour only seemed to open old wounds instead of helping their marriage.
As soon as they arrived home, Diana headed to the bedroom and slammed the door shut. David rubbed his back in anticipation of another uncomfortable night asleep on the couch. He dearly loved Diana but felt at a complete loss of what to do. His engineering background gave him the skills to fix many things but absolutely no insight in how to repair his marriage.
He turned the TV on but barely watched whatever was on the sports channel. His stomach loudly growling finally alerted him that he hadn’t eaten in hours.
‘A bowl of cereal it is. Good old bachelor chow’ he thought sadly.
He didn’t even bother to sit down while eating. He stared mindlessly at the kitchen cabinets munching on the wheat flakes when Diana appeared in the entry to the kitchen. Her demeanor had softened since they arrived home.
“Dinner of Champions I see” she joked
David felt his spirits lift. At least she wasn’t mad at him at for the moment. He recalled a complaint she made at the counseling session regarding his lack of help at home.
“Can I interest you in tonight’s special?”
A trace of a smile creased her lips “And what would that be?”
“Wheat flakes au lait” he deadpanned.
*****
Diana stifled a laugh. She didn’t want him thinking he could joke his way out of their problems. Still, there was an impish quality in him that she loved. Diana wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him
“You don’t have to sleep on the couch. But I’m exhausted” she alerted him. “The kids at school were an extra handful today”
He nodded solemnly. There would be no post argument sex tonight.
*****
As Diana prepared for bed, David went to brush his teeth. People always said she was such a good influence on him. Personal hygiene was certainly one of those aspects. Once they got decent jobs after college, Diana had insisted they obtain prescriptions for the new YourEssence pills. He had been kind of skeptical about the need and the co-pay costs. Both were still working their way out of college debt and were saving to buy their own home. He also wondered why 20 something adults had any need for these pills.
But their doctor had pointed out that the human body generates a 100 million new cells each day by cell division. Even if the process was 99.999% accurate, that still left the possibility that 10,000 cells might develop the first genetic steps toward becoming cancerous. The company that marketed YourEssence heavily promoted their pills ability to correct any errors that might develop.
With his focus divided between his teeth and his marriage, he absentmindedly reached into the cabinet to grab his pill bottle. He gave it barely a glance to confirm who its contents were intended for. Seeing “Martin, D..” was enough information so he popped the cap off and swallowed one pill. He thrust the bottle back on the shelf in what he thought was the proper place.
He made two mistakes. The first was the bottle he opened was for “Martin, Diana”. The second was when he went to place it on the right side if the cabinet, he inadvertently moved his personal prescription to the left.
*****
Their apartment bathroom was only large enough for one person at a time. After David returned to the bedroom, Diana took her turn. Today’s events had left her both physically and mentally exhausted so she might be forgiven for not scrutinizing the label of her YourEssence bottle closely. Diana had taken on the role of keeping the bathroom tidy and her bottle was basically in the spot it always was in. Thus, she dutifully swallowed a pill and brushed her teeth.
The two quickly fell asleep with Diana nestled in David’s arms.
As the hours crept by, their bodies began to change.
When they wake up, what do they do?   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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