Free Sweetie's Diamonds by Raymond Benson

that she had caught him staring at her.   “Do I have something on my face?”
    â€œNo.   Sorry.”
    â€œYou were looking at me as if I were an alien.”
    â€œAren’t you?” David asked.  
    She wrinkled her brow.   “Huh?”
    David snickered and then she smiled.   “Oh, you teaser,” she said.   “Come on, try to eat some more.”
    â€œI’m really not hungry, mom.”   He pushed the plate forward and sat back in the chair.   “I’ve got a little homework to do.”
    â€œDavid.”
    â€œWhat.”
    Diane thought about her words before she said them.   “I know this is difficult for you.   It’s difficult for me, too.”
    â€œWhat is?”
    â€œMoving.   The new apartment.   The divorce.”
    â€œOh.   That.   Yeah, I guess.”
    â€œYour father and I couldn’t stay together, David.   We were unhappy.   Neither of us believed that we should remain unhappy just for the sake of keeping up appearances.   You understand that, don’t you?”
    â€œWe’ve been through this before, mom.”
    â€œI know, but you seem very down lately.   Especially tonight.”
    â€œMaybe it’s just the move.   I’ll get used to it.”
    She nodded and picked up her glass of wine.   More and more she had found solace in wine after the sun had set.   It eased the anxiety and numbed the pain better than anything else she had tried.   Diane had tried anti-depressants a while back, when she and Greg had first begun having problems, but she didn’t like the side effects.   She completely stopped going to the psychiatrist.  
    Besides, there was nothing wrong with her mind, she told herself.   It was a chemical imbalance.   That was it.
    David got up from the table and left the room without saying another word.   Diane was concerned about him.   Perhaps the failure of the marriage had done more damage to him than she and Greg had anticipated.   Another possibility was that Greg was feeding David’s mind with more negativity, which he had been prone to do in the past.
    Diane stood and went to the phone by the sofa.   She dialed the number she knew by heart and waited until he answered.
    â€œHello?”
    â€œGreg?”
    â€œOh, hi Diane.”
    â€œWhat are you doing?”
    â€œJust finishing dinner.   You?”
    â€œUs too.”
    â€œHow’s the new place?   Settled yet?”
    â€œNot really.   But it’ll be all right.   Once we get used to the lack of space.”   She hadn’t intended for sarcasm to creep into her voice, but it had.
    She heard him sigh.   “Diane, did you call just to lay a guilt trip on me?”
    â€œNo.   Have you been saying anything to David?   I mean, about the divorce, or anything?”
    â€œI don’t know what you mean.”
    â€œWell, he’s acting pretty strangely.   He didn’t eat his spaghetti tonight and you know how much he likes spaghetti.”
    â€œJesus, Diane, maybe he’s just not hungry.”
    â€œThat’s what he said.   But he always eats his spaghetti.”
    â€œWell, did you ask him about it?”
    â€œYes.   He said he wasn’t hungry.”
    â€œWell, there you have it.   He wasn’t hungry.”
    â€œI think he’s depressed about the move.   And about the divorce.”  
    â€œWell, that makes two of us,” Greg said.   “Or does that make three of us?”
    â€œHey, it wasn’t my idea,” she said.
    â€œI’m hanging up, Diane.”
    â€œWait.   I didn’t mean to start a fight.”
    â€œIt seems like that’s the only thing that happens when we talk.   You called me , remember?”
    She shook her head in frustration.   It was impossible to talk to the man.  
    â€œLook, I just wanted to know if you had