Two Can Play The Game

The car idled at the stop sign, and the engine's low hum was a stark contrast to the silence that had settled between the two passengers.

Vanessa disrupted the quiet moment with a sudden burst, out of nowhere, “Fire him. We should not renew his contract. You, WE, need another sitter. He is great, but... I think he will be best elsewhere, with another family, not with us.”

“Wait. What? I don’t get it. Everybody loves him. The kids, me. I even thought you did too. Kids are happy. You are happy, at least up until now. I get more me time. What’s the matter? Why this sudden change of heart?”

“I’m not….well, yes, we all like him but...”

“But what? …. Okay, Vanessa, tell me more. Let me understand where this is coming from. You can’t just ask me to fire the nanny without a reason. Have you seen him doing something inappropriate? Did the kids tell you something?”

“No, don’t be silly None of that. It’s because—”

Gary cut her off. “You’re asking me to fire him. Jesus, Vanessa!”

The red glow of the traffic light cast a surreal hue over their faces, accentuating the tension that was crackling in the confined space of their vehicle.

“Why, Vanessa? Why? Talk to me! What has he done wrong? What has he done to you, hah? What is it?”

With a deep breath, Gary braced himself for the revelation that was about to change everything.

“Emm….caus’ I slept with him” she said, out of a blue.

“You what??!!”

Gary was stunned. This was not what he had expected to hear. She said it casually, like an eight-year-old child who knew she had too much of a good thing and would certainly get scolded about it.

Yet, these few words hung heavy in the air, each syllable felt as a sharp dagger slicing through the facade of their seemingly perfect life.

“When? When did this happen?”

“A year ago, when we were separated and wondering if we would ever be going to get back together.”

“You cheated on me.” He said, with a firm and cold voice.

As his grip tightened on the steering wheel, he waited for another bombshell about to shatter the fragile peace he and Vanessa had been clinging to.

“Nah, nah, nah. Don’t go there and say it like that, as if you’re saint. You cheated on me first. Remember?”

“When are we ever going to get past this.”

“Look, it only happened once. It was a night out, with the girls. We had not seen other for a while and wanted to break. So went to this new restaurant, you know, Manolos…. that place we were thinking about trying someday but it never happened. I had a bit too much to drink.”

“You were drunk?! How could you, Vanessa?”

“NO! Gary. I was NOT drunk! I was just tired, wanted to relax, and enjoy the company of my girlfriends.”

“And then what next?”

“We were seated at the bar. He kept looking towards our table.:

“He who?” said Gary.

“Let me finish, Gary. Don’t interrupt me like this. This is hard for me to tell you. So, soon enough, we were ordering refills. They kept coming. At some point, they were on the house. As the evening went on, when people started to leave, the barista approached our table, to introduce himself. He thought we seemed to be having a nice time. His said his name was Jesus…. the next thing I remember is that I woke up in his bed. Please forgive me. I am so ashamed I did this. It was such a lack of judgement on my part.”

“You’re what?! Embarrassed? You were drunk. And, and, and you left the kids, our kids unsupervised? You—"

“Wait. It wasn’t like that! I had hired a sitter for the evening. I got home late, but it was not morning yet.”   

“I see. You made it home, sober?”

The silence was now deafening. Then, Vanessa attempted to break it, again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t know when to tell you this. You’re my best friend. But you caught me off guard. When you hired him, that night, when I got home, I came in, the house that was tidy, dinner ready, kids playing, you, you were in such a good mood. Then…baaam, Jesus pops up from under the kitchen island. I was caught off guard.  I knew I had to tell you someday, but certainly NOT this way.”

“So, there is more. Keep going. I want to hear and know everything.”

“No, Gary! We don’t need to do this.”

“We do. We actually do! My “cheating” got us to separate. Now, you’re telling me you did the same and I am supposed to accept it like nothing happened? Are you kidding me, Vanessa?”

“All I am asking is that we don’t keep him.”

“Jesus, Vanessa! Well now I don’t know what to tell you about that! Am I the one torturing your mind and reminding you of your own sins? The guy is great but after learning this, I am disgusted. This is NOT what I would ever imagine you doing to me. Ever!”

“Gary!” She tries to hold his hand firmly grasping the steering wheel.

“Don’t! Don’t touch me.” While pulling away his hand, he adds, “Obviously, you never forgave me.”

“I did! We’re back together. All of this is in the past.”

“For how long were you planning to hide this from me, Vanessa? Why didn’t you tell me this from the first day he started?”

“I didn’t know who you were going to hire. Honestly, I didn’t even think it would work out with our family, when I saw him in our kitchen. Then, I met him as barista…who knew, he also worked as a babysitter on off days!”

The car comes to a stop. Gary turns off the engine. Vanessa, at the passenger seat, is wondering what might happen next. Gary has never raised his hand at her, but he was clearly upset and trying to keep his cool.

This was a bombshell he had not expected from his wife.  Everything had been going so well since they got back together. She appreciated all the efforts they were both making to make their marriage work. Jesus was also a Godsend. BUT she could not afford to have him around, especially now that Gary knew.  

Without any warning, Gary snaps and asks her to leave the car. Stunned she stares at him. He has never behaved like this before. Without fighting him and saying a word—she felt she was in the wrong after all—she pulls her phone out of her purse and swipes it open. She looks out the window to check her location and types something. It was an Uber.  Then, she opens the car and says before leaving, “I didn’t mean this to happen. It is in my past, but I know how you feel. I just don’t know what else to tell you. It was a mistake and a lack of judgement on my part. I’ll see myself home.”

“You do that,” he replies, ice cold, turning his head the other way.

She leaves but out of frustration, slams the car door and stands by the curve. Soon after, a car pulls up. She goes in and it speeds off.

For nearly half an hour after Vanessa left the spot where Gary's car was parked, he did not move. He needed to process things before heading home.

In the meantime, Vanessa had already arrived at home. Jesus was there, thinking he would be greeting both of them. He had just finished giving the kids a bath; they were ready for bed. The house was tidy. Everything was in order: the kitchen counter was clean, and the aromas of dinner smelled amazing.

She walked in, said a quick 'hi' while looking around. She wondered if Gary had already gotten home. There was no sign of him. His car keys were not hanging on the wall, as he usually did. But she had left him upset, so he could have put them in his pocket.

“Okay good, he’s not here yet. We need to talk,” she said pointing at Jesus.

Jesus smiles back and responds, “I made you guys some dinner. I think you would enjoy it. It’s my grandmother’s favorite dish. She taught me several years back.”

“Humm!!! It smells amazing.… but can we talk for a moment though?”

“Sure, what’s going on? You seem troubled by something,” he said, while pulling a chair in the dining area.

It was now raining outside. The rain kept pelting against the windows, mirroring the storm brewing inside the house, as Jesus and Vanessa stood facing each other in the dimly lit living room.

This is when Gary storms in. Soaking wet. He was fuming and the scene he walked into did not bring any comfort.  

“Hey, don’t touch my wife,” he said, yelling at Jesus.

“Wait…what? What’s going on?”

“You heard me. Don’t touch my wife. Were you planning to make your moves on her?”

He stood ready to pick a fight with Jesus. As those words hung heavy in the air, the room fell silent, the tension palpable between the couple and the sitter. The revelation was a bombshell, threatening to shatter the illusion of a perfect family dynamic.

“Gary!!! STOP!!!! That’s enough!” Vanessa shouted. She felt a hand shaking her and woke up suddenly. She was having a nightmare.

Gary looks at her and ask, “hey hey, you’re having a nightmare. You kept tossing, turning and kicking.”

“I was?” she replies.

“Yes, and you kept saying Jesus.”

“Really? I don’t remember,” she said, turning to the side because she was confused. She did not remember all the details about her dream. All she recalled for an argument about someone, but she could not picture him.  

“It’s okay! Let’s go back to sleep.” She could not help noticing the intriguing smile on his face.

The next day, Vanessa was in the kitchen, getting the children ready for school, when Gary comes down the stairs. He was all cheerful, which was a surprise to his wife and kids because he was not a morning person.  

He kisses his wife and children and as they walk out from the house, he takes a look a good look at their home and smiles. Puzzled, his wife asks him, “What makes you so happy, all of a sudden?”

“I think we should hire a sitter,” he replies. “Someone who can help us get things organized so you and I can have more time together.”

She was stunned. Happy but surprised. Did this have something to do with her dream the night before? “That’s a wonderful idea! I like that. A lot. Thanks hon’”

“If that’s what you want, we’ll do just that,” said her husband.

“Okay, then. Let’s hire a nanny then.”

The next day, while she was leaving work, Gary calls Vanessa with some news, “Hey baby, you would not believe this? I have a surprise for you. You will love it. I just hired our new sitter. I think you know him already!”

The next day, the new sitter arrives. As Vanessa walks inside her home, she realizes that sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together. She takes a deep breath, determined to let go of her past and embrace the uncertainty ahead of her.

As she puts down her keys, she is greeted by a familiar voice. It was the new sitter—none other than the same person who had appeared in her dreams.