They were no longer all that close as far as he could tell. He felt nearest to her when she was away shopping for some new thing to put the old zing back into their tedious proximity.
The divergence of their mutual devotion had occurred when she noticed his eyes absently follow the innocent smile of a happy young girl while they were strolling along the lake shore. She’d long since their wedding ceased worrying about his ogling other women’s bodies, knowing how shy and unlikely to cheat on her he was, but this was something different; something of the heart and not the loins. Feeling the disease of betrayal, it was too great a stretch to compete with the natural beauty of joyful nymphs so she went with the cosmetic come-hither and wiley ways of seasoned sirens.
Some time during their walk along the lake that day the air between them seemed to gel and hard to penetrate as she either lagged behind or sped ahead only to look coyly over her shoulder into his puzzled eyes for something she didn’t find there. The following days found more and more space separating them linked only by her searching reach for his attention to the breadth of her behind or the caliber of her cleavage or pungency of her perfume. Who was this insecure woman who’d taken possession of his lover, companion, friend who used to be like that young girl he saw at the lake the other day?
He wished she’d go shopping, at least she seemed happy during the prospect of donning her purchases when she returned home, although it didn’t seem to last very long.
5 comments:
There is nothing worse than looking into the eyes of the man you love and seeing the absence of love in his gaze.
Sad, melancholic piece.
Two people looking past each other misreading the other's lines - nice piece artfully told.
No longer singing from the same songsheet; sadly so common. I like the way you have presented the situation from both the male and female viewpoints.
Damn. Familiar, this. Excellent piece.
Post a Comment