He was avoiding me.
Whenever I went to bed early and called out,
“Come to bed soon tonight. Let’s spend a little time together.”
He would answer,
“I just want to finish this movie.”
If I went into the living room and sat beside him, within a few minutes he would stand up.
“I’m getting some water.”
“I need to check an email.”
“My back hurts. I think I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.”
One evening, I made a special effort.
I had bought a new nightgown.
I did my hair.
I even wore the perfume Robert had loved on me when we were younger.
When he walked into the bedroom, he looked at me for only a few seconds.
I smiled.
“The kids have had homes of their own for years. Tomorrow is Saturday. You don’t have any reason to rush off to sleep tonight.”
