LEAVING BALTIMORE
"When were you going to tell me, Tony?" Wendy asked as soon as Tony answered his door.
"You …you were, are always, talking about the wedding. It is hard to get you to talk or think about anything else." Tony explained.
"Yes, I am getting married. That is what brides do, Tony. But…" Wendy said, inviting herself in, and taking a seat on his couch. "…you quit your job. You never explained why. And now you are going to work at this N-S, something or other. You never really explained why you quit."
"I can't really explain, Wendy. It's better I not say anything." Tony said.
"What does that mean, exactly?"
"It means I cannot talk about it, and I can't tell you why I can't talk about it." Tony said, hoping she would understand.
"Are you seeing somebody else, somebody in D.C.? Is that why you're moving…" Wendy asked. "…to be closer to her?"
"There is no her."
"You met girls every day, Tony…." Wendy reminded him.
Tony nodded. "Yes, I do. I did. I met hookers, drug addicts, and abuse victims." Tony sat down beside her. "I worked for the Baltimore Police Department. I had to take whatever case walked in the door."
"Just tell me who she is, Tony." Wendy pleaded with tears in her eyes.
"There is no she. There's nobody else. I love you. I'm engaged to you." Tony paused. "I asked you, remember?" Tony said, taking her into his arms.
"But, you're moving to D.C….." Wendy started.
"Yes." Tony said loosing his grip to look at her. "I told you that. We talked about it. Tony said, growing concerned.
Wendy nodded.
"I needed to get out of Baltimore…because of what happened…." Tony repeated what he had told her, studying her expression. "You don't believe me? You don't trust me?"
"I am not moving all the way to D.C. to then find you cheating with this girl…." Wendy started.
"Again, there is no girl! D.C is not that far away, and there is NO girl." Tony repeated.
Wendy shook her head. "My life is here, my work, my family, my friends. I, I can't give all that up."
Tony stood up and paced the room. "But what exactly would you be giving what up? So, what if you didn't live RIGHT beside your parents' townhouse. So you have to drive more than 3 miles to get to work, or you have to take public transportation. "
Wendy made a disgusted face at that and wrinkled her nose.
Tony continued. "So you don't live in Baltimore anymore. So you don't see your friends as often. That happens in a marriage. Your priorities change. Your responsibilities change. You didn't think any of that would happen when we got married?" Tony asked.
Wendy was shocked. "I…No, I guess not."
"I'm not saying 'I do' to your mom and dad, Wendy. I can't go back to Baltimore. I just…It's too much history, too many bad memories. Besides, we need to buy our own house. Get out on our own, live our own lives."
Wendy just looked at Tony.
"Wendy, don't act like this is the first time you've heard this. I…."
Wendy shook her head. "I can handle all the other stuff. But Baltimore…why do we have to leave Baltimore? We won't even be working in the same state."
"But we will be living in the same house. So, what? Why does it matter so much?"
"It's such a big change…."
"Yes, it is. But that's life. It changes. We…we can…." Tony explained.
"It's…You won't tell me what happened. I don't understand what's happening." Wendy stammered. "I…This is not what I had planned on, Tony. This is not what we planned."
Tony got down on his knees in front of her. "That's what plans do. They change. They're flexible."
"I'm not." Wendy finally stated.
"What do you mean?"
"My life is here. I…I don't know anything about D.C. I have never been to D.C. It's a dangerous town, a dangerous place. I…."
"It's off?" Tony asked.
Wendy nodded. "I guess so."
"Because you are afraid of living in D.C.?"
Wendy nodded.
"Thought you've never been to D.C.?"
Wendy nodded again.
"Do you…Do you even realize how that sounds?" Tony stood up and started to pace again.
"You're keeping things from me, Tony." Wendy said. "The D.C thing is only part of it." Wendy paused. "If I am going to be your wife, you have got to trust me, and you don't. That's the biggest part of all this. I might, could, possibly, live in D.C., but not with someone who doesn't trust me."
"You are better, safer, not knowing." Tony said, even that statement revealing too much.
Wendy nodded. "See, that is exactly what I mean. It's like you're talking in code. You're saying words that don't really mean anything to me. I don't know what that means."
"It means that you have to trust me." Tony replied.
"I don't know if I can, Tony." Wendy replied. "I just don't know. I can't live with someone who willfully keeps things from me."
Tony shook his head sadly as Wendy got up and left his apartment, for what turned out to be the last time. Tony tried to call her in the days and weeks that followed. Finally, she changed her number and went on with her life. And Tony, well, Tony went on with his.
THE END
Author's Chapter Notes:
After watching 'Baltimore' again, I decided to write my version of why Tony and Wendy broke up. ENJOY!