Chapter 2 He didn't have any gift for her ( Clarity's POV)

"Ralph... are you ready, Ralph?" I yapped as I made my way into the house. I had all the gifts for him in my arms and I was giddy with excitement at the expression that would be on his face when he saw the suit I got him, but the smile fell off my face at the sight I saw when I got to his living room.

When I had scheduled this dinner with Ralph at the start of the week, I had anticipated that he would be as committed and excited as I was, but instead I found my man lounging on the couch with his pals following a video game session. He didn't even look like someone that had made an attempt to get dressed or cleaned up for the night, instead he looked like someone that had gone ahead to plan a boys night despite knowing that his girlfriend had planned a getaway. I dropped the gifts on the center table as I made my way to the spot that was large enough for me to fit into the couch that he lay.

" Ralph, I thought we had a dinner date planned out ?" I asked with as much composure as I could muster but he didn't reply me. I decided to think better of it, maybe he didn't hear me, I should probably speak up louder so louder was what I did

" Ralph! I'm talking to you." I said more audibly, causing all his friends to stop whatever they were doing to look at us but my man still remained sleeping, I told myself he was sleeping because why would he ignore me so much? Unless his hearing was impaired, I expected him to be awake and answering me, he wasn't even a deep sleeper so what was the problem now?

" Ralph Sterling, I'm talking to you." I gave it another go, and if it were not for my reflex, I almost got smacked on the face.

"Are you really crazy now? You walk into my house and start screaming all over the place, did you think I didn't hear you the first time?" He Burst with his index finger pointing at me and I wished the ground would swallow me whole, it was one thing for him to shout at me and shut me out when it was just us but before his friends? Preposterous, that was the word for this situation but at the end of the day, I couldn't bring myself to offend him.

"I apologize for yelling, but Ralph, we had agreed to spend the night alone. We were going out tonight!" I said stretching the last word so that his friends could get the cue and excuse us but like the fools I still believed they were, they remained inside and lying on the couch while watching us argue. " Ralph for crying out loud it's valentine's day, I had put in so much effort to arrange today and you're playing games with your friends without a care?"

" What time did you plan the dinner and what time did you get her?"

" I'm late, I understand but I dropped a message for you earlier, letting you know that I would be running late as I had to help a lady on my way."

Is it considered running late when you arrive thirty minutes late? You are aware of my busy schedule and my need for as much time as possible."

But what are you actually doing at this point? I questioned in a fury. " You're on your shorts playing video games with your friends, how does that make you a busy man?" I half-screamed.

"To play video games with us is a lot of work, woman; do not tempt me." One of his stupid friends commented and I really liked lost it.

" Shut up Frankie!"

" No you shut up and get out!" Ralph countered, not bothering about how disrespectful it was for him to be screaming at me before his friends. I was so livid but I couldn't get any word out of mouth and like the clown my father had called me once, I got down on my knees like an object of ridicule to grovel for his mercy. I couldn't even imagine a world without Ralph in it, after my son he was my everything and I knew I would be damned if he ever left me. I could hear his friends laughing in the background but I didn't care, as long as Ralph would forgive me, I would be fine, I always was and like the god that he saw himself as, he told me to rise up and leave.

"I am still angry at you, so just go home; I will call you once I have called down." He said, and I wiped my eyes, which had started to water as I got up.

"I...I have something for you." I informed him as I pointed to the gifts.

"Thank you, but you did not have to; just leave it there."

He said dismissively, and I waited behind, hoping to get something from him as well. " Why are you still waiting?"

" For my valentine's gift too."

" I didn't get you anything, I forgot it was valentine's day so you can go with the ones you got for me if you're angry." He said but I was long accustomed to his behavior, he always forgot the most important things and I was a fool to think that this time would be different. I quietly left the gifts on the table as I made my way out, I'll just give him enough time to get himself together. The drive back to the house was so quiet that I could hear the humming of the car heater, which was therapeutic, and that is how I arrived home without crying.

I used my keys to open the door and to my surprise, my little man was still up.

" Mommy!!" He screamed immediately he saw me and as usual, all the bad thoughts I had dissipated. He was my safe place and I couldn't ask for more in this my lonely world.

" Was my baby a good boy?" I asked as I picked him up and snuggled in.

" Yes!" He squealed and giggled in delight.

" You're back early, is everything okay?" Nanny Vidalia asked as she came up beside me.

" Yes I am nanny, it's just Ralph being Ralph so I decided to give him his space." I answered as I made my way to my room with her beside my and my little one in my arms.

" Nanny Vidalia, would you like to go for a one night getaway?" I asked her instead, breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere and she replied with a smile.

I went into my son's nursery and with his help, I packed his overnight bag for the getaway, I had paid a huge amount of money for the cottage and I'd be damned if I didn't use my money to my satisfaction. To even think that I planned all that out for him and all I got in return was to be embarrassed by him in front of his friends. I know it's not his fault and he'll eventually come around but in the meantime I'll enjoy the cottage experience with my son and nanny.