Chapter 6 - Aaron Refused to Become the Poor Husband Who Needed Defending
Aaron did not want Emily to fight Richard on his behalf.
That annoyed her.
After the drawer meeting, she drove home angry enough to mentally rehearse:
a perfect confrontation.
Aaron listened.
Then said:
“Do not make me the reason.”
Emily stared.
“He insulted you.”
“Yes.”
“He insulted Noah.”
“Yes.”
“He said our family has worse blood.”
“I heard what Noah said.”
“And?”
Aaron set down his coffee.
“And I don’t need your father to admit I’m successful.”
Emily became irritated.
“That’s easy for you to say.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s not your father.”
Aaron leaned back.
“Exactly.”
Then:
“You still want his scorecard to change.”
That hurt.
Emily looked away.
Aaron continued gently.
“You don’t want him to stop keeping score.”
“You want him to score us correctly.”
She stared.
Because he was right.
Since dinner, Emily had been mentally calculating:
Vanessa:
$618,400 gross support.
Emily:
$186,750.
Richard/Susan:
$275,000 Daniel loan.
She wanted:
numbers
to finally prove:
hypocrisy.
Aaron asked:
“What happens if Vanessa got more help?”
“Nothing.”
“Do we get richer?”
“No.”
“Does my job become more respectable?”
“No.”
“Does Noah become better blood?”
Emily almost smiled.
“No.”
“Then don’t build our family around winning this argument.”
That was why she married him.
Also why Richard disliked him.
Aaron refused:
status games.
Richard interpreted refusal as:
lack of ambition.
Emily sometimes interpreted it as:
insufficient fight.
Both were unfair.
Then Aaron disclosed something Emily had forgotten.
Richard had offered him:
a job.
Eight years earlier.
Hartline Building Supply needed:
HR and workforce-development manager.
Salary:
nearly double what Aaron earned as school counselor.
Aaron declined.
Why?
He did not want:
his career tied to Emily’s father.
Richard took it personally.
Later he offered:
regional training director.
Aaron declined again.
That was when Richard began calling him:
unambitious.
Emily asked:
“Do you regret it?”
“No.”
“Not even a little?”
Aaron smiled.
“I regret the 401(k) match.”
She laughed.
Then became serious.
“Why didn’t you tell me Dad kept offering?”
“I did.”
“You made it sound casual.”
“Because it was my decision.”
That distinction again.
Aaron did not need:
Richard cast as villain
to make:
his own choices valid.
Emily still did.
That was worth examining.
Then Aaron said:
“If you want boundaries with your parents, make them because of how they treat you and Noah.”
“Not because you finally found a spreadsheet proving your sister got more money.”
Emily nodded slowly.
The brass key had opened:
records.
It had not decided:
May you like
what Emily should do with them.
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