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The two males spent their time competing against each other.
What one did, the other did better. Where one had been, the other had been further.
To their friends it was comical...to Sheila it was intolerable.
She had been with Matt for eight years now, and all for most of that time he had been insufferably jealous of Dan.
If she praised Dan for a feat, Matt would sulk for hours. Likewise if she dared to throw a positive remark at Matt, Dan would act like a sulky schoolboy.
Matt had presented her with a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers for her birthday. Dan had made her a trivet for hot pans. Sheila kissed Matt and thanked him, but she put her arms around Dan and sung his praises. He wasn't really the sort who was good at making things, and the mere fact that he had spent time on this thrilled her. Of course...in Matt's eyes, this was favoritism!
It was really difficult trying to satisfy two men...especially when they both wanted her.
Matt was definitely the possessive type and vied for 100% of Sheila's attention. Dan was possibly the cleverer of
the two. He presented himself as more of a friend, and this had the knack of getting Sheila's attention, especially if Matt had got into another sulk.
Last week she had managed to persuade Matt that a nice meal for the three of them would be a good idea.
She had cooked fillet steak and all the trimmings, and they had opened some wine. Dan chose to have a
Pepsi: much more sensible.
As the wine went down, the green monster raised his head. Matt prickled when he heard Sheila congratulate Dan on a major sporting achievement.
That was the last straw. Sheila banged her fist down on the kitchen table and told them both to grow up. She worked hard at her office job on a full time basis, and she didn't expect to come home and play the part of Aunty Sheila at the kindergarten.
Tomorrow it must all change. It had to. She didn't want to continue with the bad feeling that hung around in the air. Two men ought to be able to get along with each other. Sheila loved them both, only her love for Matt was
different; he was her life partner, and she wanted that never to change.
The next day dawned a little brighter. Matt and Dan gave each other a curt nod
of acknowledgement over the breakfast table.
Sheila held her breath...would this truce last? Things nearly came to a sticky end when she patted Dan on the back and told him that his scrambled egg was 'to die for'.
Quickly she scuttled to mean and moody Matt, and said that his coffee was manna from Heaven!
It was almost a pleasure to leave the house and go to the office.
Matt had said that as he had the day off, he would cook them all pasta. Luckily, Dan said that he was football-training that evening and would grab himself a sandwich when he was dropped home later.
The pasta was delicious, and Matt grabbed her hand and told Sheila that she meant the world to him.
They had been together for eight years, and mostly things had been good. Suddenly, Matt knelt down on the tiled floor and proposed to a shocked Sheila.
She was amazed and pleasantly surprised. They had never really discussed marriage, but she had secretly always wanted to be Matt's wife.
"I'd love to marry you Matt,” she said hesitantly, "But look at how things are with you and Dan. I know you think the world of him, but this petty jealousy thing gets me
down."
"I know love,” said Matt, feeling ashamed at his juvenile behavior, "It's just that he makes me feel so inadequate at times. He does things and you praise him...I do things and never quite measure
up."
Sheila left her seat and went to him, putting her arms around his bowed head.
"You are daft,” she said laughing...and looking up as she heard the kitchen door open.
"How can you be jealous of Dan?
"After all, of course I love him...that doesn't mean I love you any the less
though."
Matt looked over to where Dan was standing...covered in dry mud from his recent football practice.
"I know,” he said,
“I love him too, I just love you so much, and I suppose that I get a little jealous of the close relationship that you share"
Turning towards the freckle faced seven year old, Matt said, "I love you too son...really I do!"
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