Category — blogging

Despite the welcomed fact that the days are getting longer, darkness encompasses the room. It fills corners occupied only by silence.

She doesn’t want to speak, for fear of upsetting him more.

He doesn’t want to speak.

He rolls up his left shirt sleeve. One roll. Two.

He rolls up his right shirt sleeve.

Then he unrolls them both.

She quietly sips from her glass of water, wondering if ice cubes behave the same as icebergs. Is there seventy percent of them under the water too?

He inhales loudly.

She holds her breath.

He exhales long and slow.

She takes that as an opening and slides her hand into his. After a moment of hesitation, he squeezes.

He stares out the window. Most of the snow has melted off of the CheekyBingo billboard across the street.

The silence gets louder and louder in her ears. She tries to will it away. She can’t.

“Lots of couples go through this,” she whispers.

He just nods.

“I’ll still see you as a man…” she offers.

“What??”

“I mean… I won’t think less of you,” she tries.

“As a man?” he asks.

“Sorry. This is coming out all wrong.”

“Okay,” he says, from even further away.

“Hey. I love you,” she says squeezing his hand.

“I love you too.”

The darkness intensifies.

She finds that freeing. She hopes he does too.

“We can get through this…” she assures.

He nods.

She rubs the palm of his hand with her finger.

The hair stands up on his arm.

The silence threatens to envelope them both.

“Oh fine. I’ll watch Twilight with you,” he blurts.

“YES!!”