Heroin Love by I.M. Hunter

confessed while fighting back his tears. "He said he was sorry, there are a lot of problems at work and he couldn't get away."
    I deflected with a question "Where is everyone else?"
    "Amber is in the daycare, and everyone else is at the pool. Did you not hear what I said?" He prodded for an answer.
    "Now don't loose that money too," I joked as I walked away fighting back my tears of disappointment.
    "Mom! Mom!" I hear Ben calling me over the chiming of the slots but I didn't look back.
    I needed a drink, a real drink. I went to the closest bar which luckily on a cruise ship is about every ten feet. I sat down at the end of the bar in the last seat trying not to be bothered by anyone.
    "What are we having today?" The bartender quickly greeted me.
    "I need a glass of Cheval Blanc '47." I quickly added, "Make it a bottle." As I sat impatiently waiting for my drink to come I couldn't help to notice all of the happy cruise goers. The young couples sitting at the bar laughing and drinking. The women kissing and hugging their men in joy. What happen to us? How did we grow so far apart? Kevin just wasn't the same anymore, he was distant, apathetic, maybe he was going through a mid-life crisis. The happy families racing through the cruise ship to the pool while dropping towels from their haste.
    The bartender came by and dropped off a silver wine chiller that housed the bottle of Cheval surrounded by ice and left two glasses. I quickly fixed his mistake.
    "I don't need this, no one will be joining me." 
    "Ah my mistake ma'am," Taking the extra glass away.
    I poured myself a glass, and started to gulp it down. I noticed a man sitting towards the other end of the bar by himself staring at me. He got up from his seat and started to make a smooth transition over to me trying to not make it obvious.
    "Hey, beautiful. My name is Jonathan. I couldn't help to notice you were drinking alone too. Care if I join you?" Trying to put his moves on me.  
    "Look John, I am not really in the mood for small talk, I just want to be left alone." I said sharply to get out of the situation.
    "Oh come on, you look upset but your on vacation. No one should be sad on vacation." He continued to nudge. "No pressure, sometimes people just need someone to listen."
    Puzzled by his insistent manner to hear my problems, I didn't respond.
    "Come on, I will listen. I wont laugh." Jonathan continued his aggressive approach.
    "Okay okay, I'll entertain you with my problems," I reluctantly agreed. "You want some wine?" I offered him. 
    "No thanks. That is a little above my class, I'll stick with my beer," he lifted his beer up and cheered toward me then took a sip. 
    I took a massive swig of wine and started my story "My husband and I have been pretty distant lately. He just goes to work and comes home and sits around with a vacant stare on his face not doing anything. He barely acknowledges that the kids and I exist." I poured myself some more wine starting to feel it take affect.
    "He just obsesses over his work, anything past that he doesn't care. We aren't romantic with each other. He barely touches me." Pouring myself yet another glass of wine I can feel the room spinning--I was drunk. "And on top of it all, he ditch all of us on this cruise. Just abandoning us. I have spent this whole cruise in my room crying and depressed." The tears flooded my face, I couldn't keep myself composed anymore. Jonathan took my head and placed it on his chest. Rubbing my back trying to comfort me.
    "Mom! Everything alright?" Benjamin asked in a panic. He must have seen my episode from inside the casino.
    "No man, she needs to go lay down." Jonathan suggested to Benjamin. 
    "Okay let's get back to the room." Benjamin pulled me off of Jonathan's chest and off the bar stool. "Thanks," Ben told John as we walked off. "What's wrong Mom?" He asked me while continuing to guide me to the room.
    "Nothing honey. I am just having a bad few days." I always wanted to be the strong supportive