Love or Money: Together and Apart, #4

By Ruth Hay

Veronica Maxwell is not sure she likes marriage and all the restrictions it requires of her.
 She definitely dislikes being poor. She enjoys most of all, her work as a beauty consultant.


Her husband, Dale Maxwell, is willing to make most of the compromises his wife needs, but there is a point at which a big adjustment is coming, and Dale is not sure of the outcome.


What matters more to Veronica, Love or Money? Money or Love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ruth Hay
• Release date: Nov 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215382592

Book preview

ONE

VERONICA

Dear Diary,

I always promised I would write only the truth, or else I would stop writing altogether.

So, here’s a nice big portion of today’s truth. I will soon see how digestible, or indigestible, it is.

Deep breath!

I know I am no angel.

I am selfish about a lot of things in my life.

I like spending money.

I like working in the Beauty Business. I guess it’s my escape from reality.

While I am in the Mall with my customers, surrounded by a cloud of expensive scent, delivering hope to the hopeless, while looking impossibly groomed and lovely, I can forget the miserable apartment we live in and pretend I am someone else, someone who still has all the choices in front of her.

Choices like who she will marry, and where she will live, and what she will achieve.

Now, I must be honest. I did choose Dale Maxwell freely. No one forced me to marry him.

He was, and still is, a truly good man and that is a rare thing in this world.

Dale has not changed……….. it’s me who has changed.

I did not know how different our dreams and ambitions would be once we married.

I want more and I want better, and I know this is selfish and unfair.

What I don’t know, is how to do something about it without ruining Dale’s life and his hopes.

---

This morning, I did a pregnancy test for the third time.

It’s still positive, although I was not having regular periods for years now and I really did not feel pregnant ………. whatever that actually feels like?

I still haven’t told my husband.

I am still not sure I can go through with a pregnancy.

I am not sure I even want to.

Is this where selfish meets the final test?

Am I fit to be a mother, never mind a good mother?

Can I do this for Dale, if not for me?

Keep it real, Veronica!

For pity’s sake, try to keep it real!

Be sensible and don’t do anything until you know more.

There is nothing more real than bringing a child into the world and it can’t be done successfully without the mother’s full co-operation.

I know that much.

I still don’t know much else.

TWO

DALE

He knew he needed to talk seriously to his wife.

The atmosphere in their apartment had been strained for almost a month now.

Of course, he had been looking for a good opportunity to introduce ‘the talk’, but it was not an easy thing to find.

By the time Veronica arrived home from work, the last thing she wanted was a difficult conversation with her husband. She needed food, a good foot rub, and some mindless television series to calm her down.

He knew it was his job to provide all of these. He was the ‘home husband’, the one who worked from home, and who took care of most of the domestic side of things.

What he had been anxiously waiting for, was the day when his wife would come home full of joy because she had made a very good cosmetic sale and earned extra money. That day would be the right one to tackle the serious talk he had been practising for some time now.

But, it really could not wait much longer. He must open up the conversation and see how she reacted.

His prediction was that her concerns would be about money.

Their combined earnings just about covered the apartment rent and the cost of running the older model car that got Veronica to work at the Mall every day, except Sunday.

He knew she hated their apartment and wanted something better. The problem was that they could not accumulate enough savings that would keep up with the recent escalation of rents, gasoline, groceries, and general cost of living.

They had started a ‘House’ fund in the bank, but it was practically static. The dream of having their own front door and a garden, was farther from achievement than ever before, and there was nothing Dale could see that could be done about it.

His wife was disappointed in life.

He was worried.

Dale Maxwell’s worry escalated to a fever pitch, the day he was collecting up the apartment garbage and found the pregnancy test in the bottom of the bathroom bin.

He stood stock still like a statue, with the bin in one hand and the test in the other.

His mind would not function from sheer shock. He looked again, and again, at the line on the stick.

Blue meant pregnant? Isn’t that what he had seen on TV shows?

Pregnant? How long? Why had Veronica not told him?

They had no plan for a family. Surely, she was not thinking she would keep this news secret and get rid of the pregnancy without telling him?

Surely not?

He finally came unstuck from his statue pose and sank down on the toilet lid to think.

A baby. Their baby!! How did he feel about it?

What did it matter how he felt about it? This would have to be Veronica’s decision.

Oh My God! They would be Parents!

Immediately, all thoughts of waiting for the right moment to talk to his wife, fled out of the window.

Now was the time. Tonight when she returned home, no matter what mood she was in.

Tonight they must talk.

Please God, let it not be too late!

THREE

VERONICA

She sensed the change in atmosphere as soon as she stepped into the apartment.

She looked around first, to see if Dale had cleaned the carpet or done some other domestic accomplishment to please her. Everything she could see looked exactly as it usually looked.

The only source of the changed atmosphere was Dale himself.

He was positively bristling with excitement.

A new job? An increase in pay from his insurance company position?

A return to working in an office instead of at home?

Anything would be a welcome change in their dreary lives.

This felt like it was a good start to their free Sunday together.

She kicked off her shoes and plopped down into the old sofa, never taking her eyes off her husband.

So, go on! Tell me your news, Dale!

She expected he would blurt it out all at once, but he seemed unable to form the words.

When he finally managed to speak, he remained standing in front of her with his hands holding his head with its mass of black curls as if he had an excruciating headache.

She began to be alarmed. If something was really wrong with Dale, she would be helpless.

Veronica, I have struggled all day with this. I can’t wait another moment although I know it’s all wrong to throw this at you the second you come home. But, my darling, if there was ever a time for honesty, this is it.

She watched in growing horror as he took in a very deep breath and finally let out the words she had dreaded.

"I found something in the bathroom bin this morning.

Are we pregnant, Veronica?"

She closed her eyes, hoping this was not really happening.

How could she respond honestly, when she had no idea what she was going to do?

Now that Dale knew about the possible pregnancy, the situation she was in became so much more complicated ……. if not downright impossible.

"Look, Dale, please sit down here beside me and stop pulling out your hair.

I see this has been a huge shock to you. Believe me it was a shock to me, too.

The reason I have not told you is that I simply don’t know what to do about it."

"Are you saying you are still definitely pregnant?"

Yes. But it’s only a few weeks. I am not really sure. I haven’t seen a doctor yet.

Does that mean you want to keep the pregnancy?

"Oh, Dale! I am scared. I can’t see how we can afford to have a child living here with us. There’s scarcely enough space for us in this tiny apartment, never mind all the truck a baby needs.

Remember, Dale, I was the oldest child in a family of four and I know what it all means.

I would have to give up work for months and then we could not afford the rent and……….."

Listen, Veronica! If I can find a way past your worries, will you agree to give me some time and do nothing drastic until I present a solution?

She was surprised. Dale seemed to have found a decisive quality that she had not seen in him before this. Maybe he needed a real calamity to show her his true qualities like this determination to take control, and do something helpful.

"Do whatever you can, Dale. I will give you as much time as you need.

Now, please come and rub my feet. I am exhausted and I am so relieved that there are two of us in this now."

Oh, Veronica, my darling! There are three of us now!

FOUR

DALE

He tossed