At Home
Eric came in through the kitchen door, put his briefcase on the table, and hung up his coat. The house was quiet.
He noticed Robbie studying at the table.
"Hi, Robbie. Where is everyone?"
"Hi, Reverend Camden. Let's see. Lucy is at the library studying, Mary is on the phone somewhere, Simon stayed after school for something about student council. Ruthie is upstairs, and Sam and David are at their friend's house."
"Jacob's?" Eric asked.
"Yeah, I think that's it."
Eric took a deep breath and looked around the kitchen. "What about Annie?"
Robbie answered carefully. "I think she might be taking a nap."
Eric nodded. Neither would say out loud what they were both thinking. Annie took a lot of naps these days. She sent the boys out wherever and whenever she could, and she rarely reciprocated. The kids all kept busy. If they had to be at home, they kept to their rooms. Eric supposed that everyone's grades must be very good lately, for all the quiet studying.
As he headed upstairs Eric tried to prepare himself to be nonjudgmental of his wife. They had been married almost twenty-five years, most of them very good. She had borne seven children. Now struggling with menopause, she had every right to take some days off, he told himself. It didn't necessarily mean that anything was really wrong.
He opened the bedroom door to find Annie reading in bed. She wore an old sweatshirt. Her hair looked as if she hadn't brushed it at all. She barely looked up to greet him.
"Hi. How was your day?" she asked.
"Hi there. My day was good." He checked himself. "It was okay - pretty routine."
He took of his tie and sat next to Annie on the bed. "How about yours?"
"Eh." She kept reading.
Eric looked around the room for an idea. "Hey, how would you like to go out tonight, just the two of us? It's been a long time." He hoped he sounded excited about the idea.
Annie looked up. Her eyes looked heavy. "Can't. I've got to pick up the boys soon."
Eric considered briefly before trying again. "We could pick them up together and then ask Lucy or Mary to watch them while we go out."
Annie was back in her book. "Not tonight. I just don't feel like going out."
Eric got up. "Okay. I'll just whip up something for dinner and, if you'd like, I can go get Sam and David."
"Sounds good. Thanks," Annie said, and almost smiled.
Satisfied that he had made an attempt, Eric went to the kitchen. He realized he was humming Ruby Tuesday. He grinned, and started dinner.
Eric came in through the kitchen door, put his briefcase on the table, and hung up his coat. The house was quiet.
He noticed Robbie studying at the table.
"Hi, Robbie. Where is everyone?"
"Hi, Reverend Camden. Let's see. Lucy is at the library studying, Mary is on the phone somewhere, Simon stayed after school for something about student council. Ruthie is upstairs, and Sam and David are at their friend's house."
"Jacob's?" Eric asked.
"Yeah, I think that's it."
Eric took a deep breath and looked around the kitchen. "What about Annie?"
Robbie answered carefully. "I think she might be taking a nap."
Eric nodded. Neither would say out loud what they were both thinking. Annie took a lot of naps these days. She sent the boys out wherever and whenever she could, and she rarely reciprocated. The kids all kept busy. If they had to be at home, they kept to their rooms. Eric supposed that everyone's grades must be very good lately, for all the quiet studying.
As he headed upstairs Eric tried to prepare himself to be nonjudgmental of his wife. They had been married almost twenty-five years, most of them very good. She had borne seven children. Now struggling with menopause, she had every right to take some days off, he told himself. It didn't necessarily mean that anything was really wrong.
He opened the bedroom door to find Annie reading in bed. She wore an old sweatshirt. Her hair looked as if she hadn't brushed it at all. She barely looked up to greet him.
"Hi. How was your day?" she asked.
"Hi there. My day was good." He checked himself. "It was okay - pretty routine."
He took of his tie and sat next to Annie on the bed. "How about yours?"
"Eh." She kept reading.
Eric looked around the room for an idea. "Hey, how would you like to go out tonight, just the two of us? It's been a long time." He hoped he sounded excited about the idea.
Annie looked up. Her eyes looked heavy. "Can't. I've got to pick up the boys soon."
Eric considered briefly before trying again. "We could pick them up together and then ask Lucy or Mary to watch them while we go out."
Annie was back in her book. "Not tonight. I just don't feel like going out."
Eric got up. "Okay. I'll just whip up something for dinner and, if you'd like, I can go get Sam and David."
"Sounds good. Thanks," Annie said, and almost smiled.
Satisfied that he had made an attempt, Eric went to the kitchen. He realized he was humming Ruby Tuesday. He grinned, and started dinner.