“Can it wait just a second? The Buccaneers are about to score!” Nick replied.
“God, Nick, no, it can’t wait just a second. She’s been crying for ten minutes!”
“Ugh, fine,” he groaned. He went into the kitchen and picked up his baby, now three months old. Then he went back into the living room and stared at the TV for a few seconds. They were setting up for a field goal from the forty-yard-line. “Please make it,” he whispered.
“Are you changing her diaper, Nick?”
“Yes,” he lied.
She stormed into the room, turned off the TV just before they attempted the kick, and grabbed the diaper bag from the floor next to him. “You are not! You’re watching the game!”
“I was about to! It’s the end of the game. If they score, they win,” he whined.
“Dammit, can you think about anything other than football? I would think your child is more important!”
“Well, then, if she’s so important, why don’t you change the diaper, then?” Nick said, irritated.
She shot him a warning glance. “Don’t even start with me, Carter. I’m not in the mood.”
“So basically you don’t have an answer as to why you don’t change her,” he stated.
“You wanna know why? Because I’m busy doing everything else around here! I have to feed her, clean up after her, put her to bed, make dinner for you, clean up after you…the list keeps going, Nick. I don’t think it would be that difficult for you to change a diaper once in a while.”
“Are you implying that I don’t do anything?”
“You do the dishes. That’s about it.” She changed Katelin’s diaper while arguing with him.
“That’s not true! I work all the time, you know, and if it weren’t for that, we would be broke.”
“I would like to get work done, but I can’t very well do it if I’m constantly busy!”
“Come on, Shelle, you’re just an artist. It’s not like you’re not gonna make anything.”
“Are you saying I have no talent?”
“That’s not what I’m saying, and you know it.”
“Obviously I don’t know it if I’m asking you about it. I can’t believe you,” she muttered. She stomped out of the room, leaving Nick to deal with the crying baby.
“Shhhh, Katie, shhhh…Mommy and Daddy are just a little upset right now,” he soothed. That only made her wail louder. The wailing continued for several minutes as he tried to settle her down. He finally let out an aggravated groan. “Shelle, how do I make her stop crying?”
Michelle stuck her head into the room. “She doesn’t know you. Maybe if you spent any time with her, she would.” He shot her a glare as she stepped in, suitcase in hand, and grabbed Katelin. “I’m leaving.”
“What the hell do you mean, you’re leaving?”
“I mean I’m taking Katie and going to a motel. I’m not gonna put up with your shit anymore, Nick. It’s over.” She handed the ring back to him.
“Whatever!” he muttered.
A tear trickled down her cheek, but she quickly brushed it away and went back into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he heard the door slam and the car engine start. He turned the TV back on to see that the Buccaneers had lost the game.