Keke stared at the wedding photo on the wall. It brought back good memories from when Jason was still the Jason she knew. She glanced around the room, then back at the picture—it was only still there because it was hanging on the wall, fixed in place. She turned away from it, facing the mess that filled the rest of the sitting room.
Shattered glass covered the floor, and it looked like intruders had rampaged through. She carefully watched her step, tiptoeing past the glass to the kitchen. There, she picked up a dustpan and a brush. She started with the larger pieces, but a sharp edge made a small cut on her hand. She looked at the cut but didn’t feel pain or anger—only sadness and exhaustion.
Jason had never been perfect, even back when they met. He was funny, hardworking, and handsome, but he had a problem with alcohol. Part of what drew Keke to Jason was that he was every girl’s crush and the smartest guy in school. She never imagined she’d end up with him; she had told herself she couldn’t marry someone with his drinking habits. But he won her over when he quit drinking entirely, just for her.
They both landed good jobs after college, and soon after, they got married. When Keke became pregnant, complications forced her to leave her job. The previous month, Jason had been let go from his, a huge blow considering all he’d sacrificed for that company, only to be cast aside. That was when things started going downhill. Each time he went out to job hunt and returned empty-handed, he came back wasted.
Keke endured it all, even though she was still recovering and caring for their baby.
One morning, Keke woke up to find Jason wasn’t in bed. “He’s probably out job hunting,” she thought. She checked on Jason Junior in his crib, watching him sleep. He looked so much like his father. After a moment, she headed downstairs to clean the house. The moment she reached the bottom, the sharp smell of alcohol hit her. She sighed and went to grab the brush from the kitchen, planning to start on the sitting room floor.
That’s when she noticed Jason, sprawled out on the couch with an almost-empty bottle beside him.
“Oh my God,” she muttered to herself, feeling a painful mix of sadness and pity. She remembered all the effort he’d put into quitting drinking for her, only to end up deeper in it than ever.
“Jason, Jason,” she called softly, tapping him awake. He groaned, opening his eyes, then belched before asking, “What?”
“Aren’t you going out today?” she asked.
“To do what? Walk around and come back with nothing?” he snapped back. Keke felt her throat tighten—she could see he was giving up.
“You can’t just give up like this. You aren’t the only one they dropped. There’s still—”
“Oh, so it’s my fault?” he cut her off, standing up and glaring at her. He wasn’t himself, and the alcohol had taken over. Suddenly, he began acting out, yelling at her. He smashed the bottle on the ground and threw the flower vase to the floor before storming out.
Keke froze, clutching the brush to her chest as her hands trembled. Pressed against the wall, she slid down, tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t take it anymore.
That afternoon, after she’d finished cleaning the house, she was sitting quietly, writing, when Jason came back in. This time he was sober, and she could tell he’d been crying. His eyes were full of guilt.
“Honey, I am—” he began, head hung in shame.
“It’s not your fault. You just need some time,” Keke interrupted. She went over and held his hand. “It’s okay; everything is going to be okay,” she said, hugging him. They sobbed into each other’s shoulders, clinging together as if the hug could make all the pain go away.
Jason smiled through his tears, moved by Keke’s love and support. He went up to their room.
For Jason, the hug was a release, but for Keke, it was a long goodbye. She knew Jason loved her and their child, but she felt she had no choice.
Later that evening, Jason came back home after work. He had been calling her all day, but she hadn’t answered. Panic set in. He searched the house but found neither her nor Junior. Frantically, he called her again, but there was still no answer.
Then he saw a note left for him in the parlor.
I love you and will always love you. But I need to give you space—for Junior’s sake. I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d try to stop me. I know this is risky, leaving you now when things are hard. I don’t know if you’ll get worse or better, but I believe you’ll try for your son. I’m at my mother’s and will be ready to come back whenever you’re ready to have us.
Over the next few months, Keke stayed in touch with Jason, encouraging him steadily. Not even two months passed before he landed a better job. Finally, he felt ready and went to bring his wife and child back home.
