Alabaster sits in bed. His eyes follow Rose as she enters from the en suite bathroom into the bedroom proper, the toothbrush handle jutting from her lips. She still buys nighties in the same size she did before becoming a mother -- which Alabaster will never complain about.
She pulls the brush from her mouth. Through a mouthful of foam, she marvels: "You really said that? My goodness. Going all-out for dad of the year, or what?"
Alabaster sighs. "It just came out. I didn't mean it."
"Didn't you?" She swabs her tongue with the ribbed portion of the brush's back and lets Alabaster ruminate on that.
"What do I tell her? She thinks I hate her now."
Rose retreats into the open bathroom to spit in the sink and rinse her mouth out. She primps her hair in the mirror. "Give her time. The worst thing you can do is kick the beehive."
Alabaster watches her from bed as she takes her nightly vitamins. "I didn't mean it," he repeats, more firmly.
"Figure out what you did mean, then, before you talk to her again."
She finishes up and crawls into bed with him. Sitting on her knees before him, she strokes his face. "This is stressful," she says. "But don't take it out on your daughter. We'll manage through. We always do, don't we?"
They kiss.
"Is our beautiful wife coming, too?" Alabaster asks.
"Hmm. Busy putting it to her kid sister, I think."
"Just us tonight, then?"
Rose narrows her eyes. "Don't look so disappointed."
"You could make it less disappointing by sitting on my face," Alabaster offers.
"...That's a possibility," she says.
Alabaster tilts his head. "What? Is this the phase of the marriage where you start telling me you're not in the mood?"
Rose sighs and slumps her shoulders. "I don't know. It's just... we never fight anymore."
"We fight plenty," Alabaster insists. "We fought just the other week."
"Oh, come on. You got snippy with me about not getting your favorite ice cream."
"Well... it's your fault. You completely forgot about it even though I texted you like three times to remind you."
Rose slaps him.
Alabaster recoils. "Hey!" He shouts, rubbing his reddened cheek. "Where the fuck did that come fr--" Rose slaps him again. This time, Alabaster grabs her wrist. He regains his bearings, brings his voice low and level. "I don't know what's gotten into you tonight, but if you hit me again, we're going to have a problem."
She tries to slap him with her free hand. Alabaster was expecting it, and intercepts the attempt. Both her wrists may be pinned, but Rose isn't deterred. She hocks a loogie right into Alabaster's grimacing face. That cinches it.
He lunges, tackling her backwards. Husband and wife go sailing off the bed. They land on the floor in a heap, tumbling around, shouting obscenities, beating each other senseless. They don't notice the pair of bright blue eyes spying on them from the closet.
OP:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atvsg_zogxo 