Chapter 6 - THE GOOD GRANDMOTHER STORY
The family split exactly where Megan expected.
Carol believed Diane had made a terrible mistake.
Eric’s brother, Ryan, called it “reckless.”
Their father, Frank, said almost nothing.
Two cousins accused Megan of exaggerating because Noah had not been seriously harmed.
That sentence enraged Megan most.
Apparently danger only counted if catastrophe finished the job.
Diane told relatives she had used “an old-fashioned remedy.”
She said Megan was exploiting the incident to isolate Eric from his family.
She said Scout was aggressive.
She even suggested the dog had caused the entire situation by knocking over the cup.
Megan listened to Eric repeat these arguments after family calls.
Finally she asked:
“Why are you telling me all this?”
He looked confused.
“Because they're saying it.”
“I don't need their defense presented to me.”
“I thought you should know.”
“No. You think if you explain everybody's position, you don't have to have one.”
Eric stared at her.
Megan surprised herself with the calmness of her voice.
“I need a husband right now. Not a moderator.”
He went quiet.
That evening he called Diane.
Megan did not listen from the hallway.
She did not need to.
Eric later told her what he said.
No unsupervised contact with Noah.
No entering their home.
No food or drinks prepared for Noah.
No arguing about those boundaries through relatives.
Diane cried.
Then became angry.
Then reminded Eric how often she had cared for him while Frank traveled for work.
Finally she said:
“After everything I've done for you?”
Eric answered:
“This isn't payment for what you did for me.”
That sentence cost him.
Megan could see it afterward.
He sat alone on the edge of their bed.
“My whole life, saying no to her meant I didn't appreciate her.”
Megan sat beside him.
“That sounds exhausting.”
“It was easier to let her think she was right.”
Megan looked toward Noah’s room.
“That stopped being harmless when you let her be right about our kid.”
Eric nodded.
No defense.
No correction.
Just yes.
Their marriage did not heal because he finally admitted it.
But something shifted.
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For the first time, Eric stopped asking Megan to be more understanding of Diane.
He started asking why he had spent years demanding that understanding from Megan instead.
