Comfort
Brittney Carter
She walked out of the airport terminal, exhausted and cranky. Who would want to go home only to be confronted by a lesser half who seemed to not only suck the life out of anyone, but sucked the life out of life itself? As she walked to her car, she thought ahead: the dishes were probably not done, the bathroom would be a disaster, and it would definitely be a stretch to suppose that the bed was actually made for once. Ah, the joys of being a couple.
As she drove home, she thought of calling him. She thought, maybe this time, I' 11 call him to let him know I' m back, and he' 11 run a bath for me. Just maybe I' 11 walk in the door to find him handing me a glass of wine. She . shook her head, I must be out of my mind. It' s gotta be the jet lag talking. The radio reminded her of loves lost and people who were willing to do anything so long as the lover * stayed, just stayed with me toniiiiiight. " How f rus -trating a life I How upsetting to "grow up" only to be with someone who refused to! She wasn' t just a disgruntled girlfriend; she was a failure.
The man who was supposed to own a stable of white horses never showed up; the replacement prince charming rumbled up on a Harley, There was a limited amount of joy in being a responsible house "wench," There wasn't even a ring oil her finger. Of course, what was she thinking? A ring would necessitate a job and a desire to actually accomplish something. Heaven forbid that should ever happen,
Pulling into the driveway, she made a resolution. Tonight would be the Right to leave. It wasn' t a physical abuse hurting her; it was her soul that had taken enough beatings. One' s spirit is only so resilient. She unloaded her own suitcases and strode full-height to the door. It was time to be the goddess that she was trained to be. There would be no more patience for this Penelope; the web was woven with the threads of resolution.
She opened the door only to find a strange silence. No football on t, v, , no cackling of oafish poker buddies, no microwave heating up a late night binge. It was too quiet. Her air of decision quickly vanished into complete and utter coiifusion. She called out his name, but there was no answer. He couldn' t have left; Ms car was in the garage, and he was too lazy to walk anywhere. She walked into their bedroom. There he was, mummied up in the sheets and blankets that they shared. She leaned over to awaken him and saw a note perched innocently on her quarter of the bed. His childish scrawl bled her name on the front, "Tried to stay up for you, but super tired, hope you had a good trip, I missed you, come to bed, I'm cold, love you."
Every thread that had held together her resilience quickly unraveled. She brushed her teeth, put on her sweats, and slid silently into bed. She cried and cried until she thought she would never look presentable for the next day, Se rolled over and haphazardly put his arm on her waist. Snuggling her back against his full, warm stomach, she damned herself a thousand times for postponing the inevitable,
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