*Hello all! Hope you enjoy this holiday story. Currently finishing up another holiday story and will move to begin the next edition of Hey, Alexa! - E.B.*
Jack and Kate were an unlikely match. Growing up in a moderate sized town, Kate was loved by everyone. She was the cookie-cutter "most likely to succeed" type of girl. She was smart, cute, and athletic; a perfect recipe to be the most liked person in highschool. She excelled in everything that she attempted and it was no surprise when she was accepted to attend the best law school in the area. Her mother, Heather, was ecstatic. But Kate had only gotten a scholarship for her first year at this prestigious university.
Heather tried to convince her daughter to take the full ride at the state school, but Kate wanted more. She was as bright as she was proud. However, she was able to make it through.
Kate met Jack her first week of college in the dining hall. He didn't come from the best of households, yet he was working full-time and taking classes at the nearby community college. They hit it off from the jump, and by the next school year they moved in together. The two were head over heels for one another, but their struggles made their relationship have some rocky times.
Jack decided to support Kate to the fullest. They came together with a plan to get married at the courthouse. He quit taking classes and left the job at the dining hall for blue collar work. Over the next couple years, Jack came home to Kate buried in her studies. He made her dinner, cleaned their apartment, and took care of Kate's cat. Life was hard, but they made it through together.
Once Kate graduated, their marriage began to decline. The two moved a State over and Kate began working for a large law firm for an amazing salary. The only downside was that she was busy. Her life began moving too fast for Jack to keep up. She was gone for business trips and conferences, late hours, and having to change plans last minute. It was rough for both of them.
Jack continued his blue collar work, making decent money. He was a few years away from a promotion and he thought that if he also had a degree, he could double his income. He applied and was accepted into a program and wanted to share the news that he'd be going back to school part time to finish up.
That day when he got off work, he cleaned their entire apartment and made a lovely dinner to celebrate. When he finished cooking he realized it was quite late in the evening. He texted Kate asking when she'd be home, knowing something had probably come up in the office.
After an hour with no response, he thought it was strange. After another hour, he got worried. Though they lived in quite a safe area, it was still a city and something could have happened. He blew out the candles he had lit and turned off the music and went to the closet to get his coat. As he grabbed his keys from the entry table, the front door swung open.
Kate came barrelling in and bumped into him. He caught her and helped her straighten up. She was clearly drunk and her lipstick was smeared. "Hey, are you okay? What happened?" he asked.
Kate brushed him off and stumbled further into their apartment, collapsing on the couch. She hiccuped and pointed a finger at him.
"Why do you always worry about where I am and how I'm doing?" she asked.
Jack was confused. "Because I'm your husband and I want to make sure you're safe," he replied.
"It's controlling. It's like you treat me like a child," she said with a burp.
"You're not a child, you're my wife. I'm supposed to make sure you're safe and take care of you".
"Take care of me? You're living in my apartment".
Jack's face twisted. "My" apartment?
He had no idea what had gotten into Kate tonight. They fight and argue just like any couple but he could tell something was off. The two went back and forth, the dispute slowly intensifying into a screaming match. Kate insulted him, Jack defended himself. The argument came to a close when Kate threw her pair of stiletto heels at Jack, missing entirely. Jack left the apartment to calm down, hoping Kate would do the same.
This night was when Jack's life had completely changed. This became one of many disputes. Each pertained to how Jack was doing wrong. He suggested couples therapy eventually, only to be met with various items being thrown at him. Most missed, some didn't. He had faith though. It wouldn't be until Kate mentioned reporting him for abuse that he realized he was far more vulnerable than he could even imagine. He still loved the woman he married, she had just disappeared.
Kate's drinking had spiraled from that first night. She gained a lot of weight. Jack rarely saw her but each occasion, he knew it was getting worse. He yearned to help his wife return to the wonderful woman she had been, but the violence and anger he was met with was far too much for him to handle. He put off his plan to go back to school and began looking forward to his promotion.
After a few years, Jack was now a single married man. He rarely saw Kate and he did almost everything alone. He had some thoughts of divorce, but Kate's threats hindered him from turning a thought to reality. One weekend, he was sitting in the living room after a morning run. Kate was gone for three weeks on a business trip. "Who goes on business trips this close to Christmas?" he thought. He noticed his wedding band on his finger. He stared at it, confused. Would he ever get the woman he loved back?
Ring!
Jack got up to answer the door. As he walked towards the door, he wondered who would be here so early in the morning. He unlocked the door and turned the knob.
As he pulled the door open, he revealed a person he hadn't seen in years.
"Jack!" the woman yelped. She jumped and embraced him.
"Heather! What are you doing here!" he said, returning the embrace, "I haven't seen you since the wedding".
Heather gave him a kiss on the cheek and released him.
"I thought I'd just pop in and say hello to my favorite son-in-law and spend the holidays with you two," she exclaimed with a smile.
Jack smiled.
Heather had Kate when she was young. There was a running joke that Heather was actually Kate's older sister. Heather was in her late forties but looked great. She was shorter than average, the top of her head right around the height of Jack's chest. Her brunette hair was tied in a ponytail. She had a few wrinkles around the corners of her mouth and eyes from being such a happy woman, but her skin looked great. She had red lipstick on her plush lips and her nose was red from the cold. "For a forty-something year old woman, she was quite attractive," thought Jack.
"Well this is going to be bad news but Kate is away on a business trip," he said.
"What! On Christmas Eve? Are you kidding?" she replied.
Jack shook his head and Heather rolled her eyes.
