Word Count: 72,007
Summary of Events:
Ian arranged to take Ms. Carlyle out for dinner again, in hopes of addressing his concerns with her; because she wanted him to drive her he decided to bring up the topic on the way, seeing as she couldn't rightly jump out of a moving vehicle if she got upset to the point of wanting to leave; his first question was why she went and married her husband if she hated him so much, to which she replied that she was desperate, and so had married the first man she'd found . . .
Excerpt of the Day:
“And yet here you are running away from your husband straight at the first man that you’ve run into since,” Ian replied. “Are you sure it’s wise to go with the first man?”
“You’re much different than he is Ian,” Ms. Carlyle said.
“Maybe,” Ian replied.
“Absolutely,” Ms. Carlyle said. “You don’t know him, do you?”
“No,” Ian replied. “But you’ve told me a lot about him.”
“Look, Ian, I’m a mature adult, I know what I’m doing,” Ms. Carlyle replied.
“But is what you’re doing wise?” Ian asked.
“Of course it is,” Ms. Carlyle replied. “I’m getting away from a worthless, selfish, anal man and finding a better man who will meet my needs and not whinge about his own.”
“I’m inclined to disagree with you Ms. Carlyle,” Ian said. “Not about how I would treat you, but about the wisdom of your actions. After all, this isn’t just about you.”
“Don’t say it needs to be about him,” Ms. Carlyle snapped. “He’s just desperate for attention he doesn’t deserve.”
“This is about your children as much as anyone,” Ian replied.
“And they’re better off for being away from him,” Ms. Carlyle said. “This is good for them to know what freedom is like.”
“Freedom from what?” Ian asked.
“Their father’s complaining and toxically selfish attitude,” Ms. Carlyle replied.
Ian had his doubts the children were really away from toxically selfish attitudes, but made no comment on that. “Do your children see this good in it?”
“They’re starting to get used to being without him,” Ms. Carlyle replied. “They never knew the full scope of it, but I think they’re adjusting quite well, really.”
“Children can be very convincing,” Ian said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ms. Carlyle asked.
“They could just be putting up a good front,” Ian replied. “You can’t really tell for sure sometimes.”
“I know my children Ian, I know what they need and how they’re feeling,” Ms. Carlyle replied.
“If you say so,” Ian replied.
“Look, Ian, I appreciate your concerns,” Ms. Carlyle said. “But I know how this all works, I know how to be a parent, I know what I’m doing.”
Ian nodded, but said nothing. Even if he didn’t have as much child-rearing experience as she did, he did know how to be a child; he had a lot of vivid memories from his childhood — in fact, he had too many vivid memories from his childhood if he was honest — and it was on those memories that he based his doubts.
“Now can we move on from the past and focus on the present?” Ms. Carlyle asked. “I want you to tell me everything you know about horses so that I can get a job.”
“We were talking about the present the whole time Ms. Carlyle,” Ian replied.
“There were certainly a lot of references to the past,” Ms. Carlyle said.
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