Is Chering Caring?

*Trigger warning: this story contains sex and cursing.*

Regina’s suspicions and reality collided with loud banging. Two bodies, in pure form, were committing an impure act. Both were equally caught up in their carnality; the intruder had gone temporarily unnoticed. The bang of the slamming door finally caught their attention. Julian scrambled to disentangle himself from his paramour. She flew out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door using only the sheet for coverage. He threw on a pair of pants and left the room. He found his wife paying homage to the royal throne in their guest bathroom.

“Babe, I’m really sorry, babe. It won’t happen again.” He sputtered.

“Leave me alone.” She choked, as she emptied the contents of her stomach. When she regained some composure she asked the length of his disloyalty.

“Six months.” He responded.

“Are there others?” She asked.

Just the one, Ariel.” He said.

“Jesus Christ! You’ve been fucking a mermaid!”

“She’s not… It’s not like that. I know I messed up. I don’t have any feelings for her. I don’t love her like I love you. I got you, babe.”   

Regina began retching again. Julian walked over and crouched beside her. He gently gathered her hair and held it at the nape of her neck. 

“Don’t touch me, Sunny!” She yelled.

Julian backed away. His hands were up in surrender. “I didn’t know you were coming home early.”

Regina responded in an elevated pitch. “Oh, I’m sorry honey. Next time I’m sick, I’ll send out the bat signal as a warning. Then you’ll have plenty of time to show your whore to the door! Get out of my house!”

Julian hesitated at first, but then did as he was told. Regina sat down on the floor and leaned against the cool bathtub. Guttural sobs poured from her soul. The moans, oddly similar to the moans she heard earlier, were unrecognizable even to herself. Regina tried to fit the puzzle pieces together in her mind. The warning signs had been there, but Regina had been too afraid to confirm her suspicions. Ignorance was bliss, or so they say. The ignorance had tried to overtake her gut with its gnawing and thrashing as it had her brain and her heart, but her gut clung to reality. Its hard pit had served as her reminder, which is why, she surmised, she felt sick that day. Regina’s whole body ached. She was too exhausted to move, and she fell asleep on the bathroom floor. 

“Mom!”  Maisie shook her mother. “Are you okay?”

Regina startled awake. She hadn’t intended for her daughter to find her that way, when she arrived home from school. “Yes, sweetie, I’m fine.”

“What’s going on?” 

“I’m just feeling under the weather, that’s all.” Regina replied.

“Where’s dad?” Maisie said. 

There it was the question that Regina dreaded. How could she explain to her innocent daughter? For Maisie was the real victim in this all. Regina asked Maisie to sit down next her. Then, Regina kept her composure as she told her daughter that Julian had hurt her emotionally. Regina didn’t reveal the affair. Julian will have to confess. The onus will be on him. She wasn’t going to irreparably harm her daughter’s relationship with him. Regina was forced to watch her daughter cry when she told her the marriage was broken. Seventeen years of her life were washed down the drain in one fell swoop. All this time, Regina worked tirelessly to provide for her family. Julian’s job loss was a hard blow. She didn’t rush him into another job, though. She thought she was allowing him to recover his pride. Instead, his ego was being stroked in more ways than one.   

***

A few months passed, and Regina hadn’t let Julian return to the house. He found an apartment, and Maisie visited him on the weekends. Regina’s wounds were far from healed. While she still yearned for her old life, she, Maisie, and Julian navigated a new normal. Maisie’s upcoming sixteenth birthday had given them all something to focus on.

The music reverberated throughout her body faster than her heartbeat as she walked into Teen Club Frisson. Hughes of blue, green, and purple flashed before her eyes had time to adjust. If she didn’t die from a heart attack just now, surely she would succumb to a seizure. Maisie had flown through the door so fast; she almost closed it on Regina. When Regina entered, Maisie was already spinning around on the dance floor straight ahead. Her face was upturned toward the ceiling and she was laughing as she spun. Her arms were outstretched as a child does in the rain. To the left were circular backed booths, which formed a partition, but not a complete barrier, between the dance floor and the bar. It was almost as if they were planning a wedding when Regina and Julian discussed whether they were paying for an “open bar.” Ultimately, they decided they would, so the kids had access to sodas and mocktails all night.

The guests started arriving. Regina tried hard to play hostess. Upon arrival, however, the friends rushed to dance with Maisie. Regina surveyed the floor. She saw Cindy and Mindy and wondered why those poor girls were stuck with rhyming names. She felt old as she remembered her birthday parties. What happened to a good game of pin the tail on the donkey? Now, she watched as the children were grinding on each other. Regina wanted to intervene, but she didn’t want to be “that mom.” As long as she could see them, she was satisfied that everyone’s clothes would stay on. A few moments later, Julian arrived with a petit blond thing hanging on to his arm. She gave a quick wave, but avoided a conversation. In fact, she avoided them most of the night.  

Everyone was having a good time, and Regina was pleased. She had been watching the children dance, when she got called into the party room; the pizza was ready. It took her some time to arrange everything. Of course, Julian was nowhere to be found. Where did he go anyway? When she had finally made her way out of the party room, she noticed that all the kids had disappeared. The only other person who didn’t have a clue was the bimbo Julian came in with. The music was still thumping but the dance floor lay bare. Before Regina had a chance to comprehend, the song switched and she heard a familiar tune.

If I could turn back time

If I could find a way

I'd take back those words that have hurt you

And you'd stay

Oh no. No. No. No. Regina thought.

A door opened and out came all the kids and Julian, sans Maisie. They were all dressed as Navy sailors.

Oh God No. Regina tried to reign in her horror. The kids looked pleased with themselves, so she smiled and clapped. “What a surprise!”

Regina loved watching videos of flash mobs. She now realized that it’s not so fun when you’re the one getting mobbed, at least not in this scenario. None of the videos had prepared her for what came next, however, for the sailors had formed a walkway. Maisie strutted down the human aisle. She was clad in a black leotard and black fishnets complete with thigh high boots and a cropped black, leather jacket. The piece de résistance was the long black curly wig. At least the leotard wasn’t see-through, Regina thought. She had to give it to her daughter. She was a fabulous dancer. At least the dance classes paid off, even if it was to Regina’s embarrassment. The smile stayed plastered on her face through the performance. As it neared the end, Julian walked up to Regina and grabbed her hand. She cringed inside, but swayed her hips as she followed him. The sailors had now encircled them. All eyes were captivated. Without warning, Julian dropped to one knee. From his pocket he withdrew a more sophisticated diamond than the one on her wedding band. Would you do me the honor of renewing our vows? The crowd cheered and immediately went silent, waiting on bated breath. One look at her daughter, and Regina knew her answer.

“Yes!” She forced a smile and let him place the ring on her finger. Then, he grabbed her right hand with his left and dipped her over his other arm. He was showing off, no doubt.  He swung her back up into an embrace. Regina’s body relaxed as she breathed in his earthy, sweaty musk. He placed his strong hands on her face and kissed her. His soft lips made her dizzy and hungry for more. As comforting as this was, Regina knew it was too late. It would be easy for her to accept him back, but he had already shared himself with someone else. She wanted neither his borrowed lips, nor his borrowed body.

Once the scene was over, the party resumed and the hungry crowd turned their attention to the pizza. Instead of following the crowd into the party room, Regina asked Julian if she could speak to him outside.

As soon as they were out of ear shot, Regina yelled.  “What the hell was that?”

“What do you mean?” Julian was confused.

“That Hallmark scene in there.” She pointed toward the club. 

“I…I was Chering.” He explained with air quotes. 

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough Chering?”  She said.

“We were happy. I thought you wanted this. You accepted the ring.”

“How does it feel to be lied to?” She took of the ring and threw it at him. “You don’t get to do this! Manipulating our daughter! Our daughter! On her sweet sixteenth!”

“I didn’t manipulate…she was excited.” 

“Of course she was excited. She wants to see us back together. Thanks to you, now she thinks there’s a chance.” Regina shouted. 

“Why can’t there be a chance?” He said.

“Because, Sunny, I’m done. I’m done Chering with you. Regina turned on her heels and walked away, leaving them both to find out whether there was life after love.