22.2.09

the here and now

Oliver had a found a new hobby perhaps, watching Bex's stomach.

They could be watching TV. In bed. At the mall. Where ever, it thrilled him that there was something so alive, and he was a part of it. He'd never dreamed it would be this way. And Bex's Mom didn't bother him at all anymore.

Although, he didn't want to tell Bex this because he might be wrong. Obviously, he hoped he was, but her mother had boyfriends. And a lot of them.

"Maybe they do nothing intimate," Oliver told Nelson one afternoon while he was over, helping him build an entertainment center for Nelson's mother.

"You're thinking that?" Nelson gave him a look that this might be a tad disturbing.

"God, no." Oliver squinted with a silly smirk. "No, I'm just saying, I think she sees these men other than just at the library."

"How do you know?" Nelson held pieces together while Oliver snapped them together with a power tool.

"The things they say to each other. Like this one fellow, he isn't all that much older than me. They were talking about this local concert. They'd been to it together. I had no idea she was even in to the local music." Oliver shook his head. "Its like she has this life Bex as no idea about, and I'm not sure she wants her to know about it, anyway Bex might freak. Its like Bex is more set in her ways than her mother."

"Get out of here!" Nelson pulled a face. "Listen to what you're saying about your wife. You trying to say you'd have more fun with her mother? Than her?"

"NO! I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying, Bex's mother is liberated even if she can all drive us nuts about finding a name for her, other than grandma. According to her, she's too young to be a grandma." Now Nelson had hit a nerve about Bex.

"What do you mean, Bex is set in her ways?"

"She doesn't like to try new things," he kept a small smile.

"Well, hell, the woman is giving you two babies, man." Nelson informed him.

"No, I'm not talking about sex or anything." He sighed. "Its just she only wants to go to the same places to eat. Same foods. Maybe Dayton had something to do with it, I don't know."

"We can't do anything that might remind her of him." Oliver attacked another corner piece that Nelson gripped together. "It worries me, " Oliver told Nelson. "What if there is something I do that I didn't even know I did, and then she'll have nothing to do with me, either, and she'll avoid all the things we used to do."

"You never did the horrible things Dayton did to her," Nelson reminded him.

"True, but I did get her pregnant. Sometimes, I think she must feel it was a horrible thing." Oliver couldn't believe he said that, but it was a fact he couldn't let go of, either.

5 comments:

ellie said...

watching Bex's stomach. that made me smile. I always love Nelson. Interesting what Oliver has found out in his observations.

ellie said...

watching Bex's stomach. that made me smile. I always love Nelson. Interesting what Oliver has found out in his observations.

Cate said...

Haha, I smiled about the same thing as Ellie.
Oh... Bex's mother seems quite a flirtatious lady. And so cool that Oliver isn't bothered by her anymore! I used to think that adults, like, over 30 couldn't be doing anything intimate anymore! I was astonished to one day find out that they did, haha.
Well, but Bex's mother has a right to her own life, Bex doesn't need to know about everything.
Through the capital letters when Oliver said NO! you really managed to show the indignation, that was good!
Oh, routine is so sad... Maybe Oliver will try to introduce a bit of change without Bex noticing..

dawn said...

wow. so much depth to this one. really nice insight into oliver. hmmmm.....lots brewing.

we're back to cold here too, but at least things are budding. oscars tonight. we'll see how slumdog does. hope you're well.

L said...

Oh, Ollie's deep in thought again...



Thanks! =]