Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Wes
I took a cab to the heart of Hell’s Kitchen and entered a bar called Pocket Bar. After planting myself on a stool, the bartender walked over to me.
“What can I get you, man?”
“Scotch on the rocks and keep them coming.”
“Sure thing,” he said as he tapped his knuckles on the counter.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Christopher.
“Hey, Wes.”
“Can you meet me in Hell’s Kitchen at the Pocket Bar? I need to talk to you.”
“Sure. Is everything okay?”
“No. It’s not. I’ll see you soon.”
The bartender set my drink in front of me, and I downed it like it was water. He poured me another, and I sat there, holding it between my hands, thinking about Anna and everything that had been said and done.
“Hey,” Christopher said as he walked up from behind and placed his hand on my shoulder. He took a seat next to me and ordered a scotch. “What’s going on?”
“Anna doesn’t want kids.”
“Why?”
“Because of her mother and what happened to her, even though she won’t admit it.”
“Gee, Wes, I’m sorry. The two of you never discussed kids before?”
“No, and I’m glad I brought it up today. Could you imagine if I married her and then found out?”
“Bro, what do you mean ‘if’?”
“I broke up with her, took the ring back, and told her to move out.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“No. I’m not.” I glanced over at him and brought my glass to my lips. “I thought I knew her. I guess I didn’t.”
“Maybe she’ll change her mind. She loves you, and you love her. You can’t let something like this tear you apart.”
“She won’t change her mind. Bartender.” I held up my glass. “She was very adamant about it.”
“Wes, you love her more than life.”
“I know, and I also love children. You knew how happy I was when Alexa told me she was pregnant. Even though I wasn’t in love with her, I was ecstatic that I was going to be a father. Then you saw what it did to me when I found out she lied. I’ve always wanted a family, and when I met Anna and fell in love with her, I thought she loved me enough to want to have one with me.”
“She does love you. The two of you can work this out. Come on, bro.” He hooked his arm around me. “Don’t let this destroy what the two of you have. I’m sorry that I have to say this, but there’s more to life than wanting kids. You have to step outside the box and look at the bigger picture.”
“I have looked at the bigger picture, and it consisted of me and Anna at home with small children running around us. That was my bigger picture, Christopher, and without that, I don’t see how the two of us together can work. If we were together, in the back of my mind, I’d always resent her for not wanting to start a family, and she’d always resent me for wanting one.”
I threw back the last of my scotch, and Christopher helped me home.