She had mixed feelings about being there for him.
She had been through hell and back with the whole thing. Three years for a crime brought on by alcohol. The police, the courts, the neighbours, all of it! But she said she would wait. She would give him another chance. There had been other incidents where he would get drunk and end up in a brawl. The drink had been his downfall. He was certainly known to the police. It had been just petty crimes until this. It had hit the local newspapers big time. It seemed to her that his criminal activities were all brought about by drink. But this could all change now, with his promise to change his ways. He would reform. It was this promise, repeated during several prison visits, that had kept her there.
The day before his release she had given the flat a thorough cleaning, making it nice for him to come home to. She also had her hair done at the expensive saloon in town. She wanted to look her best for him. She really did love him when he wasn’t drinking.
The next day, release day, she drove out to the prison and brought him home. It was wonderful. They were both so happy. He went off for a shower. He was gone so long she went looking for him.
She found him sitting on the bed, bottle in hand.
“Where the hell did you get that?”
He grinned. “Shoebox in the wardrobe, where I left it.”
