Chapter 3
"What's for dinner, honey?" Dennis called out, laying his cap on the front radiator and taking off his coat.
"You're home early," Rebecca said, coming to the front door and kissing her husband.
"Yeah, I thought we could spend a little quality time together tonight," Dennis breathed into her ear, brushing her dark hair back.
"Oh, I don't know, Dennis. Leslie's fundraising campaign is tomorrow and I have all this baking to do. Jennifer won't help and Jeffrey is, well, busy."
"I'll take care of this," Dennis kissed his wife and climbed the stairs to the kids' rooms.
"Jennifer!" he yelled, banging his fist on the door over the blaring music.
"What?" Jennifer cried out, yanking the door open and staring at her father with doleful eyes.
"Turn that shit off and help your mother in the kitchen. And tell your brother to take out the garbage."
"It's not shit," Jennifer said to herself, careful not to let her father hear her say the s-word. "It's Limp Bizkit." Jennifer stopped by the bathroom on her way down the stairs. "QUIT PULLING YOUR PUD AND TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE. DAD SAYS NOW!" she yelled, hoping she scared the little fucker and ruined whatever fantasy he was into at the moment. "Why do I have to learn to cook?"
Jennifer complained as she tied on an apron.
"A woman wears many hats in her life, honey. You see I'm a professional working woman but I'm still expected to take care of the home. One day you'll be expected to take on the role of homemaker and its my duty to train you in the ways of womanhood. It's just the way it is."
"But shouldn't we try to change it, Mom? Make the world a better place and all that?" Jennifer said, picking up a spatula.
"I think you'd better worry about learning French before you try to change the world."
"What's French got to do with human rights? I swear, Mom, you can be so obtuse sometimes."
"It has everything to do with it, Jennifer. French women have played an important role in history and especially in women's rights.
Ask your grandmother if you don't believe me. You're one quarter French, my dear."
"Whatever," Jennifer replied with a sigh and spread a pad of butter over a pan, watching morosely as it sizzled and melted.
Later that night after dinner and getting the kids to bed, Dennis tried again to seduce his wife but she said she had a board meeting in the morning and needed her sleep. In truth, Rebecca had lost interest in sex over the last few years. She had never been that into it in the first place but she felt it was her wifely duty. Now past her childbearing years she didn't see a practical purpose for it so she had taken to making up excuses. She suspected Dennis was aware of her mindset but he was too nice to push her on the issue. She would sometimes masturbate him before bed but always made him finish the job in the bathroom by himself. He had told her that doing so made him feel childish and that this wasn't a healthy adult sexual relationship but she had waved him off and rolled over to sleep.
Dennis tried to tickle her a few times to get her in the mood but she ignored him so he went to sleep frustrated again.
End chapter 3