Episode 969: Red

Ava didn’t look up at the sound of his voice. She continued re-stocking the mystery/thriller shelves of the store.

“I’m sorry if you felt like I want behind your back,” he said. “I just thought they deserved to know what was going on. I guess I should have waited and let you contact them. I could take care of things here now, go have your day off like you planned.”

“No thanks, it’s clearly best if I just rely on myself.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Because I called Bowie, because I did that one thing, suddenly you can’t rely on me? I said I was sorry. I-”

“Customers,” Ava said at the sound of the bell at the front desk.

She rang up four sales in a row, something she ordinarily would have been happy about on an otherwise slow morning at the store. But, angry with her husband and concerned about her friendships and her ex, there was no happiness to be found. With the last of that string of customers exiting, the store felt thick with quiet.

Sebastian approached her again, this time with an empty box in hand. “I finished the re-stocking,” he announced.

“Do you want me to congratulate you for finally doing what you’d promised to do this morning? If you’re looking for high-fives or pats on the back, try Bowie and Lila, not me.”

“I thought they deserved some warning. Can’t you understand that? It wasn’t about going against you. I was just giving our friends a heads up. It’s about their kid.”

“Really?” Ava asked. “Is Jesse really what this is about for you? Have you thought about him at all? Have you thought about what it’s like to have questions about your genes? Or have you only thought about yourself?” She crossed her arms. “Have you only thought about your own unfounded insecurities?”

“You’re the one throwing everyone’s lives into turmoil. Is that really about Jesse?” Bas countered. “Or is it about you? You know that kid has a great dad already. We should all be so lucky to have a dad like Bowie. And have you ever heard Jesse say he has questions about his genes? Have you even thought about that? Or have you only thought about what this might mean for Xavier? So, right, Ava, why should your husband feel insecure when your sole focus seems to be your ex.”

Episode 970: Win Some Lose Some