Alex was right, at least about one thing. The situations were different. Seth's family was in Willow Creek. Seth's career was in Willow Creek. Seth was a raven, not a peregrine falcon. Seth had never asked her to sacrifice those things. Her family was in Willow Creek now too, and he'd let her live in Seattle after they'd gotten married. He’d never once given her an ultimatum about that.
She was blaming him, because apparently, he hadn’t said as much as she’d needed him to say, but conversation went both ways. Seth had thought he was being clear. He’d told her that he’d bought the house in both of their names. When she’d arrived, he’d told her that she could decorate it however she wanted. That she was free. What else was he supposed to say? She couldn’t argue that she thought he was being polite. Since when were they polite to each other?
Alex saying she’d do something in a hypothetical scenario was easy, and how was he supposed to believe her when she hadn’t even done it in the real scenario?
“It wasn’t supposed to be a sacrifice to your happiness,” Seth said. He shook his head. The term they’d used was mutually beneficial. “If it is, maybe we need to reevaluate some things.” Maybe the baby was their wakeup call.
If she trusted him more than anyone else, and Seth trusted her more than anyone else, but it wasn’t enough that Alex wanted to live with him and it wasn’t enough that Seth felt comfortable with total intimacy with her, what did that say? What were they even doing?
For someone who said she didn’t hate the house, she sure acted like it. Seth meant it, she could sell it. But he didn’t have anything else to say.
It wasn’t just easier for Alex to focus on other facts than on the trouble in their relationship. “I’ll take you this week,” Seth said about the museum. The more she knew, the less she’d fear- the better she’d feel. In theory. Seth wanted the transition between in-the-dark to knowing to be as easy on her as possible, and Seth knew Alex.
About the hunters, Seth shrugged. “Because they always have,” Seth said. “Why do you think we have to hide?” A few bad apples ruined it for everyone else. It was just like every grade school class Seth had been in. It was that simple.
When Seth told her about the age thing, he’d hoped to clip right past it, but he had known she’d react. He just hadn’t expected her to look like he’d dropped another bomb. “If we got to that point,” Seth said, “I’d do what every raven does, and I’d offer you the bite. It’s just...not relevant right now.” He didn’t know what else to say. Seth could tell that something was wrong with what he’d said, but he didn’t know what she was thinking. Just that a certain door had closed.
They were both getting tired. “I didn’t pick the term,” Seth said. His look toward her was pointed, because hey. “It’s not a bird thing, it’s more of a snake thing.” Not that Seth actually knew. “But you can call them whatever you like.” They’d definitely have to talk more about this later.
But for now, even before she dismissed what Seth said and headed up the stairs, he could tell that, for the night, his wife was done. He stood there while she dropped the notebook and walked away, and stayed where he was while he watched her head up the stairs.
For the first time since they’d started arguing, it was truly quiet. He kept waiting for her to turn around before she disappeared, but Alex didn’t. She turned the corner instead. Seth looked at the spot where she used to be, before he called out to it.
“So, I’ll be on the couch.” He waited another moment, and then went into the livingroom. It was going to be a long night.