I didn’t know what to say. I would never raise my hand to Vanessa, no matter how angry she made me.
“Our women will never understand what it’s like to be in our shoes. And frankly, they shouldn’t have to. They have their own burdens, their own sacrifices they make for us on a regular basis. I understand why you’re upset. You just want Vanessa to be safe. But you’re never going to get your point across by pushing her away in the process. When it comes to marriage, there’s no such thing as keeping score. Apologize for what you said, then tell her how you feel. I know my daughter. She’s so stubborn that she won’t listen until she gets the apology she deserves. Unfortunately, that means you need to cave first. It sucks, but your marriage is more important than your sacrifice.”
I could tell he’d been married for a long time based on what he said. I slid my hands into my pockets as I considered his words. I was a simple man with simple needs. One of those needs was for Vanessa’s safety. If that requirement wasn’t met, I was often deranged.
“I hope that was helpful.” He clapped my shoulder before he walked out.
7
Vanessa
I spent most of the day in a pissed mood.
I wasn’t even hungry.
I’d never been so angry with Griffin. If he thought he could talk to me that way and get away with it just because I loved him, that was an idiotic excuse. I wasn’t putting up with it. I was the one carrying his son, and I would have to push him out in a few months.
Griffin should be kissing the ground I walked on.
My phone rang, and my father’s name appeared on the screen. I knew Griffin would never talk to my father about any of this, so I assumed he was calling about something else. “Hey, Father. How are you?”
“Hey, tesoro.” His mood was somber, like this wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation. He didn’t answer my question.
“Everything alright?”
“I just talked to Griffin.”
I stilled at the surprise. Griffin wasn’t talkative, let alone about our personal relationship. I was surprised he’d confided in my father, even if they were on good terms. “Oh?”
“Yeah. He mentioned what happened.”
“And you’re calling me because…?” I shouldn’t give my father attitude because of Griffin’s actions, but it slipped out.
My father let it slide. “Remember how much this man loves you. Remember all the sacrifices he’s made for you, made for this family.”
Oh no, the guilt trip.
“All he wants is to keep you safe. His heart is in the right place even if his mouth isn’t. He’s a good man, and you’re lucky to have him.”
I never thought my father would take Griffin’s side on anything. Now it seemed like they were conspiring against me. “Father, I know you’re trying to help, but this is between my husband and me. Just because you two are close now doesn’t mean you should gang up on me.”
“I’m not ganging up on you. He doesn’t know about this conversation. I can relate to everything he said because it’s exactly how I feel about your mother, about my children. All I want, more than anything in this world, is to keep my family safe. Griffin is the same way. He’s not asking for a lot, tesoro. All he wants is to protect you. I’m not excusing what he said. But…just keep that in mind. Try to meet him halfway.”
I rolled my eyes because he couldn’t see me.
“Vanessa.” It was like he knew exactly what I just did. “There’s no room for stubbornness in a marriage. I learned that the hard way.”
After I finished up at work, I drove home to our house in Tuscany. I didn’t stay at the apartment again because he would just hunt me down there, and now that we had a beautiful home with a yard, that was where I wanted to be.
Griffin was in the kitchen when I walked inside, working the stove as he made dinner. He didn’t look at me when I walked in, but he somehow knew I would come home that night.
I set my purse on the table and hung up my coat on the coatrack. I didn’t face him right away because I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even know where to start. I finally turned around and walked toward him, my guard up because I didn’t know what kind of mood he was in. “Listen…”
He turned off the pans and faced me, cooking with his shirt off even though there was hot oil everywhere and it was fifty degrees outside. He stared at me with an indecipherable expression, his look hard and his jaw tense. His eyes were the only gentle thing about him.
“I did some thinking when I was at work today. I know all you want is to keep us safe…”