It had been three weeks since the best afternoon of his
life.
Logan reflected on the memory of the afternoon he spent in the tub, with and without Marie. He had thought that he knew everything about Marie, but she had surprised him with just how much she knew about the advantages of bubblebaths.
No. That just distracted him from his loss. And while it was nice to forget for a while, the loss always came back stronger than before.
Logan sighed as he added more warm water to the tub. He didn't understand how Marie could have done something that horrible to him. Didn't she realize that taking something away from him that meant so much would hurt him so deeply? He thought back to that afternoon.
***
"Marie, how could you do this to me? You can't take it away! I won't let you!"
"Sugar, I have to. It's not yours to keep."
"But I love him."
"I know you do, Logan. But I have to do it."
"No!"
"Am I gonna have to start treating you like I treat Flea, then? Like a little boy?"
"Yes."
"Good lord, Logan. Grow up. It's not your duck. It's Flea's."
"Get him another one. He'll never- Hey! What are you doing?"
"Treating you like Flea. I don't take bubblebaths with him."
"I would hope not. But please don't leave."
"I have to, Logan. Either I treat you like a little boy and leave, or I return the duck and come back to play. It's your choice."
"Play."
"You really are two."
Marie put her robe on and walked out the door with Ducky, as Logan had taken to calling his new friend. He watched her leave, and then he sank into the bubbles and cried, taking care to keep the tears off of his favorite silk shirt.
***
A knock on the door jarred Logan out of his daze.
Marie cautiously stuck her head around the door. "Are you okay? Are you speaking to me?" she asked.
Logan just grunted.
"Okay. I see we're still pretending to be a caveman. I just wanted to drop off something for you." She held out a bright green bag with blue and yellow ribbons hanging off the handles.
"You can't just buy me a present and think it will fix everything."
"Not only are you two, but you're a spoiled princess! Open the damn bag, you idiot." Marie's frustration wasn't lost on Logan. He reached over and dropped his hand into the bag. He pulled out something small and yellow that looked vaguely familiar.
"Marie, thanks, but it isn't the same duck."
"Just look at it." He did. And recognized the chip in the left eye. And the black mark on the tail. It couldn't be...
"Ducky?" Logan asked tentatively.
Marie rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's your Ducky. I bought Flea a rubber turtle and he was having so much fun, he threw Ducky into the trash. I rescued him from a fate worse than death. Kinda like you did for me. So can we move past the thing with the damn duck now?
But Logan wasn't listening. He was already serenading Ducky with "You are so Beautiful to Me." Marie giggled at the sight. He was a strange and freakish mutant, but at least he was hers.
Logan reflected on the memory of the afternoon he spent in the tub, with and without Marie. He had thought that he knew everything about Marie, but she had surprised him with just how much she knew about the advantages of bubblebaths.
No. That just distracted him from his loss. And while it was nice to forget for a while, the loss always came back stronger than before.
Logan sighed as he added more warm water to the tub. He didn't understand how Marie could have done something that horrible to him. Didn't she realize that taking something away from him that meant so much would hurt him so deeply? He thought back to that afternoon.
***
"Marie, how could you do this to me? You can't take it away! I won't let you!"
"Sugar, I have to. It's not yours to keep."
"But I love him."
"I know you do, Logan. But I have to do it."
"No!"
"Am I gonna have to start treating you like I treat Flea, then? Like a little boy?"
"Yes."
"Good lord, Logan. Grow up. It's not your duck. It's Flea's."
"Get him another one. He'll never- Hey! What are you doing?"
"Treating you like Flea. I don't take bubblebaths with him."
"I would hope not. But please don't leave."
"I have to, Logan. Either I treat you like a little boy and leave, or I return the duck and come back to play. It's your choice."
"Play."
"You really are two."
Marie put her robe on and walked out the door with Ducky, as Logan had taken to calling his new friend. He watched her leave, and then he sank into the bubbles and cried, taking care to keep the tears off of his favorite silk shirt.
***
A knock on the door jarred Logan out of his daze.
Marie cautiously stuck her head around the door. "Are you okay? Are you speaking to me?" she asked.
Logan just grunted.
"Okay. I see we're still pretending to be a caveman. I just wanted to drop off something for you." She held out a bright green bag with blue and yellow ribbons hanging off the handles.
"You can't just buy me a present and think it will fix everything."
"Not only are you two, but you're a spoiled princess! Open the damn bag, you idiot." Marie's frustration wasn't lost on Logan. He reached over and dropped his hand into the bag. He pulled out something small and yellow that looked vaguely familiar.
"Marie, thanks, but it isn't the same duck."
"Just look at it." He did. And recognized the chip in the left eye. And the black mark on the tail. It couldn't be...
"Ducky?" Logan asked tentatively.
Marie rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's your Ducky. I bought Flea a rubber turtle and he was having so much fun, he threw Ducky into the trash. I rescued him from a fate worse than death. Kinda like you did for me. So can we move past the thing with the damn duck now?
But Logan wasn't listening. He was already serenading Ducky with "You are so Beautiful to Me." Marie giggled at the sight. He was a strange and freakish mutant, but at least he was hers.