The Proposal

Okay, I hear the phrase all the time, "You can't have Your cake and eat it too." I have to admit, in a literal sense it always irks me because, "Why the f*ck would I buy the cake in the first place if I wasn't allowed to eat it?! You think I just wanna look at it, and stare as it rots away? Who the f*ck deserves to eat my cake, but me? If I made/bought it, it's my f*cking cake. As long as I'm not hurting anybody with it, I'll eat it however I please. Don't make me use a gosh dang spoon!" Whenever I hear that phrase I want people to really say, "You want all of the freedom and authority without any of the responsibility. You're going to have consequences one way or another." Why don't people just say, "You've made Your bed, lie in it." I needed to get that out of my system. Moving on, what does she have that Lisa doesn't? Lisa already mentions that how young the other woman is and also potentially sexy. Sure, people like youth and beauty, but (and I'm not justifying cheating at all) does Lisa still express care for Peter in their relationship? I get there are relationships were people just cheat without having a reason to besides they wanted to do it. Yet, there are other relationships in which people cheat because they're not getting what they need from their partner. Sometimes it could be compliments, conversation, personal time such as sitting together in the same room and maybe enjoying a show together or going on a drive or having date nights, a lack of genuine love, a lack of intimacy, a lack of sex, etc. There's something that is lacking and one partner is literally incapable of fulfilling their partner's needs or that they don't want to. Which is not just frustrating, it's suffocating. "Did she have a right to presume exclusivity?" - In a marriage, unless they stated that one of the other or both are allowed to have an open relationship, then yes. Also, when people are just beginning dating exclusivity is off the table until they start to take each other seriously and can both mutually agree upon it. If the both of them are not all-in at the time, then it's not going to work out, cause then one person can't give themselves entirely to the other. That being typed, relationships can change and if people want to leave, then they should just do so. Why live a life in secrecy? Who is it going to protect? What lessons are going to be learned from it? "Things get more complicated due to circumstances." Things are only as complicated as people make them. Reminds me of a conversation I had with my dad a long time ago. There were two different marriages. He asked me, "What do You think is easier, a wife who's struggling with positivity to have sex with her husband again, or a husband trying not to belittle his wife?" He had me stumped for a second cause at the time we were talking about emotional fuel tanks and not everybody needs the same fuel. The conversation earlier had a wife who abstained for more than half-a-year and her husband was giving her the cold shoulder. The relationship therapists told her about his emotional fuel tank, and how he's on empty, and so is she (in my opinion though that read as a more of giving-to-get instead of giving-to-give, yet at times sometimes we need to receive more generosity than we can provide I will admit). So, the wife went home and made love to her husband. Then he started complimenting her left-and-right, saying how much he loved her, and they started filling up each other's fuel tanks practically ever day in other gestures and small ways along with their major needs. Either way, back to my dad's question, when we got home and my mom was also there, I re-stated his question and told him, "Do You know how easy it is to shut up? Goodness, if You're struggling not to belittle somebody save it for Your vehicle, cause that's where most people like to do tons of their ranting. At least do Your phrases not in earshot of Your partner. Have some common sense. People should at least be that intelligent." My mom laughed her butt off and whole heartedly agreed. I'm glad that Lisa still has standards for what should happen in a relationship with her. Everybody should have standards. Not ultimatums. If a boundary gets crossed that should never have even crossed the person's mind way before their actions do, then it's best to leave. There's just certain forms of disrespect that people shouldn't take, especially when requirements get neglectfully abused. Nice micro fiction, Rachel.

Wants to have his cake & eat it, too. Indulge in the shallow, but hold onto that which is truly worthwhile? Good luck with that. And the only answer that makes any sense.

For a minute there I thought Lisa was going to agree! I am so glad she didn't. Can't have your cake and eat it, commit man, commit!!!

There is no way to top Dharrsheena's comments. But here I go anyway.... This story feels real enough that it upset me. It probably does not need repetition, but love is not a feeling. Love is an action. Love is demonstrated. Peter doesn't have any conception of what love even is. The tragedy of this tale is that there are a lot of Peters in the world. Wonderful writing, Rachel. Is it funny that the heroines of both our most recent stories are Lisa's?

Well...I feel...erm yeah Peter's a dick...Paul's been that dick too. So...yeah. Well done chum. I love your writing...there is just this realism to it all. So yeah. um. Well done. Seriously good little micro and clearly stoking a lot of fires, which is good!

Ugh, the audacity that Peter has! I will kick him in the balls!

Ah, we all want it all!

Nice one! What a prick he still wanted to continue! 😅