Never enough

My friend handed me the phone saying “it’s your wife and she doesn’t sound happy. “Hello” I said placing the phone to my ear. “When are you going to be home?” D asked. “I am not sure” I replied. “Is it going to be late?” she asked. I hesitated trying to think thru all the possible factors that could influence my return time. “It’s going to be after 9:00 isn’t it?” she said. I had grown weary of playing this game so I said “yes”. “Fine” she replied angrily and hung up the phone.

When I walked into the house a couple of hours later, D was busy cleaning the kitchen. “The dining room looks great” I said to her dropping my computer bag on the floor. “The chandelier is crooked" she replied. I had spent all day Saturday as well as Sunday morning installing the wrought iron fixture. “The arms just have to be adjusted” I said reaching for the light. “You are spending way too much time with the Cadet group” she said. “Are you saying I am not spending enough time with you and the boys? “I countered. “Yes” D replied. I hung my head in frustration. “I don’t get you sometimes” I replied. “I used to completely neglect you and over the past five years I have worked very hard to be a better husband. We do more together now than we ever did before. And now you say it is not enough”. “Well you can’t even answer your phone” she said her voice raising a few decimals. “D, I told you that I have to put my phone on vibrate at work and sometimes I forget to take it off. Do you think I don’t answer the phone just to piss you off?” “Yes” she said staring at me with a defiant look on her face her feet plants firmly. All that was missing was the hands on the hips. “Are you saying that I would intentionally want to hurt you” I asked my face turning red with a look of disbelief. ”Yes” she said staring directly at me with steely eyes. “Wow” I said in a hushed tone; my body slumped as if I had just been punched in the gut. I turned and walked away.

We did not talk for a couple of days and when we did, D said she misunderstood what I was saying. I told her I thought she understood me perfectly and that we should discuss why she feels that way. We have not had that discussion yet.