It was eerily quiet as they stared each other down in the small kitchen. Only the ticking sound of the grandfather clock in the adjoining dining room broke the silence. Tick, Tick, Tick. John shook his head and voiced a deep sigh. He turned away from Alice, his hands on his hips, and walked towards the living room. He dropped down on the sofa and put his head in his hands.
He sat there gasping for breath as if he had just run a race. Alice followed minutes later. Her head lowered, tears streaming down her face, she sat next to him sobbing. As soon as she sat down, he bolted up off the sofa and retreated to a lone armchair across the room.
His leaned his head back as he stared at the ceiling, his finger tapping on his thigh in time with the clock. Alice dropped her head into her sweaty palms sobbing uncontrollably, gasping for breath in between violent sobs. John reached forward to the coffee table and threw a box of tissues at her, scowling and shaking his head, then turned towards the fireplace.
After many minutes, he changed his focus and stared at the empty spot on the sofa. Tucked behind the gray seat cushion was a bit of black lace peeking out. He stormed out of the chair and stomped to the sofa. Alice shrank back and turned her head away. John dug behind the cushion and pulled out a black lace panty. As he held it between his thumb and forefinger, he waved it in front of Alice’s face, then flung it in the fireplace and watched as the fire consumed it.
Alice dropped her head to the arm of the sofa sobbing uncontrollably again, her arms around her head. Her knees were pulled into her chest with her feet hanging off the sofa. As John walked by, she put an arm up to touch his. He pulled away, stopped, and glared at her. Then he stared at the white stain on the cushion and the wet ring around it. John grabbed the cushion and raced to the front door and hurled it onto the lawn. It landed near the street where Alice’s car was parked.
Alice stood up and started towards him. But he put his hand up for her to stop. He looked at her as she stood there, just a few feet in front of him. They made eye contact and a tear fell down his cheek. He turned and grabbed his keys from the entryway table. He slid his wedding ring off his finger, stared at it for a moment, then placed it gently on the table. He opened the door, stepped out into the sunlight, then slammed the door behind him. Alice heard his car engine rev and fade into the distance. She collapsed onto the floor sobbing.
Joy Jakubiak 