Sweet Twins

Charles stepped closer to Nancy and wrapped his arms around her neck, pinning her to him seductively. "How are you going to
tank me? I know you have to lay next to Bobby until he falls asleep, but afterwards, why don't you do the same for me?" Charles
lifted his eyebrows suggestively as he asked Nancy this.
Nancy clammed up at his question. Not knowing what to say, she mumbled, "Of course I stay with Bobby until he sleeps. He is
just a child. You are an adult! Are you jealous... of a child?"
"Of course I'm jealous, Nancy," Charles twirled her hair around his finger trying to sound romantic. "Come on."
Nancy realized then that he was serious. Anxiously, she replied, "Charles, please do not do anything stupid or ask me to do
anything stupid. Your mother would kill me if she finds out. I still want to live, you know?" Nancy pushed him away as she said.
Charles paid no attention. Instead, he pulled her closer, moving his hands up to the back of her head, and moving his face closer
to hers.
"No. Please." Nancy hoped if she spoke clearly and with authority, Charles might listen. She didn't want to think about what
would happen if he continued to ignore her.
As Nancy was contemplating her options, an innocent voice cut through the tension, "What's going on?" Bobby had snuck out
back into the room.
Nancy panicked, but Charles released her upon hearing Bobby's voice.
"Mommy, is Daddy bullying you?" Bobby sounded sleepy and confused. Bobby rubbed his eyes and became more alert,
assessing the situation. He started to look angry as he took the scene in fully.
"Yes," Nancy blurted out, the panic crippling her ability to lie. "That is not good, Daddy." Bobby said, wagging his finger at his
dad, mimicking a teacher reprimanding a misbehaving student. Nancy turned bright red as Bobby scolded his father.
When he received no response from either adult, Bobby continued, "Daddy, is this true? Were you bullying Mommy?" Bobby
looked at his father in askance. However, Bobby's voice was clearly upset.
'Oh my baby! Why did you appear at such a time?' Charles thought to himself.
'Why are you asking me such questions? I thought you were smart to understand?'

"I just want to finish what you asked me to do yesterday. Bobby, please go to sleep alone, okay?" Charles rolled his eyes in
irritation at the boy.
Bobby was confused. He didn't remember saying anything relevant yesterday.
All he could recall from yesterday really was that Grandma had fallen and he had dropped his phone. Yesterday was actually
pretty bad, he thought to himself, sadly.
His anger, confusion, and sadness all played across his face as he thought and then he said, "No! I want Mommy to sleep with
me!
Will you please sleep in my room, Mommy?" Bobby looked up at Nancy with puppy dog eyes and a hopeful expression.
"Sure, sure," Nancy answered quickly, almost sighing with relief at the escape option the boy had given her.
"Goodnight, Daddy!" Bobby said happily now that Nancy had agreed. Bobby waved his chubby, little hand at Charles before
Nancy grabbed it and led him to his room.
Charles grabbed a glass of red wine sitting on the table and finished it in a gulp.
The alcohol made Charles burn. He hurriedly went to the bathroom to take another shower to cool himself down.
The next morning, Charles' face was blank as he drove Nancy to work.
The growing affection he had felt for Nancy was gone as if it had never existed.
It wasn't that he was angry.
He felt depressed instead. He had no one to whom he could vent and discuss his feelings in hopes of unraveling them, but it was
almost an empty sort of sadness that had washed over him with the morning light. He didn't even blame Nancy; he only blamed
himself.
Meanwhile, Nancy certainly blamed him for putting them both in that position last night. She tried not to think of the situation for
fear of getting angry and saying something she'd regret. After all, if you haven't anything nice to say, its best to not saying
anything at all, right?
"Enjoy your day at work. Don't stress. I'll take care of everything. I will call Jay and have him straighten things out with Fannie,"
Charles said this without inflection as the hospital came into sight. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, Charles cut

her off. "Don't thank me. I don't want to hear it," he muttered in a cool and distant tone.
"Okay," Nancy said softly as she gathered her things and slowly opened the car door. She was confused and just trying to not
break the tenuous peace. Even after she was out of the car, she closed the door gently and gazed at Charles through the
window.
Charles didn't even look at her as he drove away.
Charles licked his lips and grabbed his mobile phone. He dialed Jay's number and waited impatiently.
However, Jay was still fast asleep.
Jay was awaken by the ringtone, annoyed and confused. He realized that the sound that awoke him was his ringtone and that
someone was calling him. Without checking to see who it was, he screamed into his phone, "Why are you calling so early?" You
interrupted a great dream. Tell me quick and it better be good."
"Are you kidding me? Look at the time! You're still sleeping? You're such a bum," Charles shouted in disgust. His pent up
emotion from the last few days finally had an outlet and his blood was already boiling at Jay at the small mistake.
Jay's sleepiness disappeared within an instant. He collected himself and started talking in a much calmer voice.
"Charles! I didn't know it was you who called. Tell me, what's the matter," he said gently as he rubbed his eyes.
With an impatient sigh, Charles said, "Have Fannie released."
"What?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Jay couldn't understand the change of heart. He had to call in so many favors
to gather enough evidence to have Fannie in the first place. He and Hiram had put a lot of work into it and now she was to be
released? As if it had been pointless to lock her up in the first place? What a waste of his time and effort!
"But, why? Tell me why, Charles," Jay asked as he squinted his eyes and raised a brow. He was very puzzled.
"Nancy cares too much about her family. I will never be able to change that," Charles tried to explain. Charles lit up a cigarette
and took a puff. He kept the smoke in for a short while before breathing it out, very slowly. He savored it. ·
Behind all the thick smoke, his charmingly attractive face showed a twinge of coldness and hostility.
"That stupid woman!" Jay exclaimed in a fit of pique.

"Excuse me?" Charles suddenly raised his voice and snapped at Jay through the phone. Now he was really pissed.
"Never mind. Look, calm down. I'll call the police to tell them I was wrong and to release Fannie right this second," Jay said,
hoping to deescalate things. Jay did not dare irritate Charles further and said whatever he could to calm the man.
"Good, but keep an eye on her. If she messed up again, I won't be so forgiving." Charles was calmer as he said this.
"Okay, I'll keep an eye on her. I won't let her do anything stupid," Jay said this with resentment. Then he cheered slightly as he
continued, "For the sake of the table you bought for me."
Now that Charles paid for the table, Doris was excited for that. She didn't have to be a slave for Jay anymore.
However, it annoyed Jay. Though he didn't have to pay for the table anymore, it seemed that he had lost someone he treasured.
The whole idea made his heart feel a little empty and he let out an exasperated sigh.
"Good," Charles said as he hung up. His voice turned unconcerned as he said his goodbye.
"Hey! Who were you calling stupid earlier?" Doris was standing in his doorway as if his thoughts had conjured her.
"Not you, I wouldn't dare call YOU stupid." Jay snorted and smiled ominously as he got off the bed and stood up. "Doris, I feel
much better today. Tell me, how can I be sure I am fully recovered?"
As he spoke, she saw a gleam in his eyes that she did not like.
Doris straightened her posture so she stood tall in the doorway.
"Don't move and stay in bed. Rest or pay the price."
Raising his eyebrows, Jay snorted, studying Doris with an inexplicable expression.
Doris felt his stare and had a foreboding feeling.
She really didn't like the look he was giving her, like she was prey on which he could pounce.
As she continued staring at Jay's eyes, she smiled awkwardly and stammered on, "If you truly feel better now, I believe my work
here is done. Can I leave now?" Doris asked hesitantly.

"No. I'm the injured one. Your job isn't done until IT says it is done." Jay said forcefully. The whole affair felt like a death sentence
for Doris.
Doris felt so trapped. Jay was suffocating her.
"Okay, okay! Whatever you say. But are you really recovered? If so, I guess you should try IT, like you said," Doris said in a
melancholy manner as she looked down.