Disclaimer: BBM and all of its characters belong to its creators (not me). If you don't recognize the person/place/thing/story from the movie, then it's mine. Otherwise, give the money to someone else. :) The song lyrics are Toby Keith’s “She Never Cried In Front of Me.” He gets that credit. :)

She Never Cried In Front Of Me

By Jen (WCUGirl)

1975

Ennis sat at the bar, quietly twisting his beer bottle and trying not to think. It was Alma’s wedding day. She married the grocery man. There was that part of him that couldn’t believe it. There was part of him that felt kicked, as though she were still his and that this should have never happened. There was that part of him that felt relief—she’s a good woman who deserves some happiness.

Seven Thirty-five
She's someone else’s wife.
I can get on with my life,
And that thrills me.

The girls were with their momma and the ranch was closed for Labor Day weekend. It was only Friday…if he hurried…no… That would never work. Jack probably had plans, some big fancy Labor Day cookout rich person gathering to go to so his wife could show off her trophy husband. And he’d drop everything just to see you, ya dumbass.

Some people came into the bar wearing clothes that were way too fancy for a Friday night in Riverton. Musta come from Alma’s wedding. Indeed their conversation was all over the evening’s event—the bride’s dress, the food, the flowers, the “amateur” band playing at the reception, the girls, the lack of HIS presence. One of the guys came over and wrapped an arm around Ennis’ shoulders, nearly drawing a flinch out of him.

“Say there Ennis! Here you are! We been lookin for you all day at Alma’s wedding. Where was you boy?”

“Um…I…well…uh…”

“Aww c’mon now I’m only foolin. No ex husband goes to his ex wife’s new wedding! It’s bad luck. Though you shoulda seen her Ennis. She’s quite a gal.”

Ennis nodded and took a sip of beer. “She is at that.” You have no idea what you’re talkin about Stupid.

“You know, me personally, I didn’t see it happen, but they were saying that as she was coming down the aisle she let one little tear leak out.”

She married him today,
Her daddy gave the bride away.
I heard a tear rolled down her face,
And that kills me.

Ennis bit back a snort. “Lotsa women cry at weddin’s.”

The other man shook his head, not convinced. “I dunno friend…from the sounds of that tear, looks like you were at that wedding today after all. Maybe not in person, but I think you was definitely there.”

Cause now I
Can see why,
She's finally cryin.

And then it dawned on Ennis. She was moving on, but it wasn’t because she wanted to. He looked up at the cheesing, slightly tipsy man swaying before him. He lifted his hat up off the bar and placed it back on his head. He signaled the bar tender that he was finished and laid a couple of dollars on the bar.

“Gotta go friend. Glad ya had a good time today.”

He left the bar as quickly as possible. He ran for the nearest corner and entered the phone booth. He locked the door behind him and picked the phone up and dialed a number without a moment’s hesitation.

The phone rang once, twice, three times and just as Ennis was about to hang it up he heard someone answer it.

“Mmh h’lo?”

“May I speak to Jack please?”

“Speaking.”

“It’s me.”

“It’s…ohmygod you actually called? What’s-wrong-are-you-ok-what-happened-where-are-you-are-you-alright?”

Had Ennis not been so melancholy he would have laughed at Jack’s small tirade on the other end of the line.

“Been a helluva day bud. Thought…” he chewed on his thumbnail nervously, “thought maybe talkin to ya would help me since I can’t see ya tonight.”

“What’s eatin you Ennis? What happened?”

He let out a long breath and lit a cigarette, filling the booth full of smoke before it vented out the top a few seconds later.

“Alma got married.”

“Alma got mar—oh I get it. No shit? Who’d she marry?”

“The grocery man.”

“Oh nice. Where she works right?”

“Mmh yup.”

“Well hey look at it this way friend, y’don’t have to feel guilty about the divorce no more now. She’s moved on and happy. Now if we can just get you moved on and happy everything will be perfect for both of us right?”

Ennis let out a small, very brief chuckle. Jack Twist and his damn sales pitches.

“They said she was crying at the wedding.”

“Hell Ennis every woman in the fucking world cries at a wedding! It’s like…I dunno it’s in their blood or somethin’.”

“Well see I was at the bar havin me a bud and thinking bout…well we’ll talk about that later, and I ran into some people who was at the wedding. They was telling me about it.”

“You didn’t go?”

“Where?”

“To the wedding? You didn’t go?”

“Hell no Jack! Why would I wanna go see my old lady get herself married off to someone else? ‘Sides, it’s bad luck for your ex to show up at your wedding.”

“Ennis Del Fuckin Mar you are shittin me. You still wanna be with her!”

“What?! I do not you idiot you know damn good and well who it is wanna be with and they ain’t got the same parts as Alma and you and I both know that!”

Jack remained skeptical. “Ok y’may not wanna be with her but I mean, you still love her don’t ya?”

“Jack she’s the mother of my children, of course I still love her, for that reason only.”

“Then why’s it eatin ya so bad?”

How was I supposed to know?
She was slowly letting go?
If I was puttin her through her hell,
Hell I couldn't tell.

She could've given me a sign,
Could've opened up my eyes.
How was I supposed to see?
She never cried in front of me.

“I dunno Jack. I know now that I hurt her. Hurt her bad. She’s a good lady, never deserved that shit from the likes a me, to be sure.”

“Ennis ya gotta quit beatin yourself up over what’s happened. It’s in the past, it can’t be changed. All you can do now is be nice to her. Be happy for her that she’s found someone to be happy with.”

“But see that’s just it! She shouldn’ta had to go through all that! She shoulda been able to be happy with me! That’s the whole point of what I’m sayin here!”

Yea maybe I might’ve changed,
It's hard for me to say.
But the story's still the same,
It's a sad one.

“Would you change anything about the last 12 years if you could go back?”

And I'll always believe,
If she ever did cry for me,
They were tears that you can't see,
You know the bad ones.

Ennis didn’t miss a beat, didn’t take a second to think, didn’t hesitate in the slightest. “Nope. Cause any changes I made woulda hurt you and I ain’t doin that.” Except everytime y’tell him no Stupid.

“Ennis you said you were thinking bout some stuff that we’d talk about later. What was that? What was ya thinking about?”

Busted. Damn he’d wished-hoped-prayed that Jack hadn’t caught his fumble there earlier. “Um…well…I uh…”

“Spit it out Del Mar,” Jack almost growled through the phone at him.

“What’re you doin this weekend?”

“This weekend?”

“Yeah. It’s only Friday night. It’s Labor Day weekend. Y’got plans?”

Jack let out a shaky laugh. “Um nope. Lureen’s gone outta town. Bobby’s at Soccer Camp and I’m here by myself.”

“By yourself.”

“That’s what I said.”

“Do you uh. Do you wanna get together?”

There. He’d said it. He’d done it. Made the first move. Twice in one night even. Jack had to see he was trying here.

“Can’t.”

“Why not?”

“My truck’s in the shop. Got no way to get there.”

Ennis had the truck from the ranch for the weekend. His boss let him take it home with him. “Go somewhere fun for the weekend Ennis,” he’d said. “Get out a little, do something nice for yourself. Takin that beat up trap you’re driving won’t get you to the county line. Here take the ranch’s truck.”

“What if uh…what if I were able to uh…to uh come down there?”

He heard a thud.

“Jack? You there?”

He heard scrambling, smothered curses on the other end.

“Jack?”

“Don’t you do this Ennis. Don’t you tease me like this. I ain’t stupid you ain’t never come down here not once! ‘Sides your truck won’t make it.”

“I’ll be there by first light. I got the ranch truck for the weekend and instructions from my boss to do something nice for myself. You’re the nicest thing I could do for myself Jack,” he added, grinning like a fool into the phone.

He heard Jack chuckle.

With out a doubt,
I know now
How it outta be,
Now she's gone
And it's wrong,
And it bothers me.
Tomorrow I'll still be,
Askin myself.

How was I supposed to know?
She was slowly letting go?
If I was puttin her through her hell,
Hell I couldn't tell.

She could've given me a sign,
Could've opened up my eyes.
How was I supposed to see?

“So is it ok Jack? If I come down? You alright with that?”

“It’s what I’ve always wanted Ennis.”

“You wanna get us a place?”

“Lureen and Bobby are both gone until Tuesday. Why couldn’t we stay here?”

Ennis smiled. “I’ll have to leave on Monday to be back to work on Tuesday. Gives us a couple a days. It’s not a lot but—

“But it’s better than what we was gonna have otherwise. Get your ass down here Ennis.”

“Leaving right now. Gotta stop and gas up but that’s it. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Oh and Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“Got something…I wanna tell ya.”

“Now or when ya get here?”

He let out a breath. “Both.”

“Both?”

“I love ya Jack. It was never Alma. Only you. Always only you.”

He heard Jack smile into the phone. “See you in the morning Ennis.”

“G’nite Lil Darlin.”