Things with Damien had gotten easier.
When she started working at Lennox, Jossy specifically informed Clara that she would be unavailable in the evenings. Her job mattered, but her marriage mattered more, and she was determined to protect what she had with Damien.That meant every evening was reserved for him, no excuses.
Most nights, they ate together, talked a little, and sometimes just sat in silence, but at least he was home. In her heart, Jossy believed this job had saved her marriage. With the structure it gave her, she no longer hovered around waiting, and was no longer tempted to question his comings and goings. She kept busy in the day, and in the evenings, she gave him her undivided attention.
Of course, not every night was perfect. Sometimes Damien came home late, pulled back into the endless demands of the company. She had learned long ago not to ask questions.
Over the two years of their marriage, she had memorized the boundaries:
Where are you? was to never be said.
What are you doing? was too dangerous.
When will you be home? was forbidden.
Even if he didn't come home at all, she wasn't allowed to ask.
Once, after starting the Job at Lennox, she noticed the faint trace of a woman's perfume clinging to his shirt. Another time, the scent lingered on his jacket. She was smart enough not to mention it, because she didn't want to be as foolish as she was in their first year of marriage. The first and only time she dared to ask such questions, they had been married for only six months. The memory of that night was still fresh on her mind..His eyes flashing with fury, the first slap of many to come, the words he spat, and the uncomfortable silent treatment that followed. That night was enough to teach her a lasting lesson.
Don't you ever question me, Damien had told her flatly.
And she had. Painfully, fully, she had accepted it.
At least she was his wife. That thought had become her anchor. However many girls drifted in and out of his life, however many mysterious nights he spent away, none of them could claim what she could. None of them had the ring, the name, the home. They would never get the privilege, never hold the honor, and so,she worked hard to please him, harder than she ever had before, because, if she just gave enough of herself, he wouldn't need to look elsewhere and for the times he did, it was her fault. And maybe, just maybe, her resolve was working.
Damien had begun coming home earlier than usual, sometimes even surprising her. He now spoke to her more softly, kissed her forehead when he walked in, and lingered at the dinner table instead of retreating straight to his office. Their marriage was now solid and warm, the way she had once dreamed it would be.