didn’t have one. Almost imperceptibly, he adjusted himself, and his posture was stiffer, straighter. If Reese didn’t know it was impossible, she would have sworn that his shoulders looked broader. He ripped his glasses off his face and threw them onto the table. Chills came over her as she watched her husband seethe. She attempted once again to make eye contact with him, if for no other reason than to help pull him out of this, this, whatever it was. Isaac, though, was still glancing back and forth between Max and Gretchen, glaring more deeply with each look at Gretchen. Unsuccessful in her attempt to catch Isaac’s attention, she tuned back into the exchange between their best friends.
“…but what’s so bad about us, Gretchen? Certainly whatever it is can be fixed. And how could you walk away from a beautiful, innocent, sweet baby girl?” Max’s voice was tight with emotion. Reese could tell he was trying hard not to cry, and her heart went out to him.
Gretchen sighed with obvious boredom and crossed her arms over her chest. “Look. Max. You’re embarrassing yourself. Have the balls to accept this and move on. Elise was a mistake, one that I can’t continue to live with day in and day out, especially not with a man I don’t love. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be getting on my way. My car is packed with the only things I want, and I’m getting a head start tonight. Have a nice life, Max. Good luck to you and Elise.”
When she scraped her chair backward across the patio stone, the crickets stopped their chirping. Reese hadn’t even noticed them until they stopped. Everything was hushed as Gretchen turned to go. Like the two men at the table, Reese sat perfectly still. The crickets resumed their melodic rhythm. Gretchen took a few steps across the patio, her feet barely making a sound. Reese jumped what felt like several feet into the air when Isaac shattered the silence.
His chair crashed to the ground with a loud thud as he sprang to his feet. The glass he threw exploded beside Gretchen, peppering her leg with shrapnel and soda. The fragments of glass hadn’t completely come to rest on the ground when Isaac roared, in a pitch lower than his usual, “You bitch!”
Gretchen spun around. “How dare you!”
“How dare me? How dare you. Who the hell do you think you are?”
Reese watched in disbelief as her husband and former best friend strode angrily toward each other and stood nose to nose screaming at each other. She looked at Max. He sat with his head in his hands, seemingly oblivious to the intensifying fight yards away from him. She turned back to Isaac and Gretchen, too stunned to intervene.
“Look, you son of a bitch, don’t tell me what I can and can’t do.”
“Despite what anyone thinks to the contrary, this is my house and my wife and my best friend and I’m here to protect them from whores like you.” He poked her hard in the chest.
Gretchen slapped him across the face. “Don’t you dare call me a whore. And what the hell are you talking about, Isaac? No one thinks anything to the contrary. You can have your everything, especially your best friend because I am leaving.” She turned to go. Isaac grabbed her by the wrist. She glared at him. “Let. Go. Now.”
Isaac tightened his grip. “Look, whore, Max is the luckiest man alive. His bitch is finally out of his hair.” He cried out and doubled over when Gretchen kneed him in the groin. He did not, however, let go of her wrist, and as he bent forward, he twisted it. She yelped and attempted to pull free.
That was enough to break Reese’s stupefied trance. She lurched forward and tried to break apart these two people who had clearly lost their minds. She was unable to do so, though. She found herself gently nudged aside. Max wasn’t so gentle when he wedged himself between Isaac and Gretchen. “Both of you, knock it the hell off,” he bellowed. He grabbed Isaac’s arm and yanked it off of Gretchen’s wrist. “Don’t you ever call her a bitch or a whore again. Do you hear me, Isaac?” He shoved Isaac backwards as he let go of his wrist. Isaac stumbled but recovered his balance.
“What the hell, Max! She’s leaving you. She’s abandoning her daughter. I’m trying to defend you, and you defend her?” He threw his hands into the air and stomped several feet away. He immediately stomped back and marched up to Reese. “Can you believe him? I’m trying to help. That bitch cut him down and I’m showing her just what she deserves. Why doesn’t he get it?”
Reese shook her head. Max and Gretchen were arguing; Isaac, in one of his angry fits, by far the worst one she’d ever seen, was shouting in her face and frankly scaring her with this never-before-seen display of violence; and she was ready to scream in frustration. That, though, is exactly what none of them needed at the moment. She took a deep breath. “Isaac. I know you’re trying to help. This isn’t good for anyone, though, including you. Go cool off.” When he just glared at her with those cold, beady eyes and, jaw set, said nothing, she added, “Please.” She stepped in and hugged him. It was what hugging a cadaver must be like. She shuddered. That this was the second time in a short interval that her husband made her shudder didn’t escape her. She pulled back and gently pushed him toward the house. “Go settle down and then come back when you’re ready.” He glared at her for a few more seconds, then without a word, whirled around and stomped toward the house. Reese exhaled audibly, closed her eyes as she rubbed her temples, took a deep breath, and turned her attention to Max and Gretchen.
Max stood with his hands at his sides. Gretchen stared at him, then looked at Reese. Calmly, as if none of this ruckus had just occurred, she said, “Good-bye. Max, you’ll be fine. Reese, you’ve been a wonderful friend.” She turned, and poised and confident, strode out of their lives.
Reese looked at Max. The summer evening seemed to have cooled uncomfortably. The flickering torches continued to cast their light, but the warmth had even left the flames. The orange glow looked like it stopped at Max rather than washing over him, and it accentuated his aloneness. She had absolutely no idea what she could possibly say, should possibly do. Max looked down. He didn’t move, barely breathed. Reese heard him sniff. “Max,” she whispered. When he still didn’t move, she stepped toward him and held him. After a pause, he returned her embrace. “Max,” she whispered again, “I’m so, so, sorry.” When he eventually stepped away, he just looked at her and shook his head. Reese took his hand and led him to the table.
“I…I don’t know what to say, Reese. I think I’m too numb to formulate coherent thoughts right now.” He covered his face with his hands.
Reese rubbed his back. “We’re here for you. Always. Our friendship is strong, and Isaac and I love you. We’re going to get through this, okay?” Max nodded, then shrugged, then nodded again. “I mean it, Max. I know that Isaac’s with me on this, too. Clearly he’s on your side. I have no idea what came over him tonight, but at least he was trying to be supportive. In a really twisted way though, I must admit.”
Max gave her a small smile. “Yeah. That was interesting. I wonder where the hell that came from.”
“I have no idea. I don’t really want to find out where it came from, and I don’t want to see that side of him ever again. Next time he’s in one of his pissy spells, I’ll just count my blessings that he’s not subjecting everyone to a fit of rage.” She paused as she thought. “I’m not justifying his behavior, because what he did was wrong, but he was looking out for you, Max. And we’re both going to keep looking out for you. We’re here.”
“Thanks.” He nodded. He continued to nod, but he didn’t say anything further.
When Max, still nodding, wiped his eyes, Reese took his hand in hers again. “Why don’t you stay here tonight? Elise is already asleep. Just let her be, and crash on our couch. I can make it comfortable. That way you don’t have to go home tonight, and you don’t have to
