She threw herself at his feet. Begged for forgiveness. He stood there, in the kitchen, streetlight coming through the window, and just looked down on her.

The house was dark. No lights on, just the lamp in the living room where she waited for him. All night long she waited for him. He’d left early in the evening. Words were exchanged. Accusations made. A fist was thrown into a wall. He’d heard enough.

She had dark circles under her green eyes. These nights were common. Nobody got any sleep; she didn’t, he didn’t. Their whole lives had become a circle of yelling and forgiveness. Sentences, like, I promise, were said. And, she’d tell him she loved him. Those simple words, I love you, were hard for him to say. Even after twenty years of marriage. Seemed like neither knew what love was. Maybe at one time they knew. Maybe.

He had women ’round town. She knew bout it. Wasn’t suppose to know, but, she did. People talk. And, she had her one time affair. Some salesman who left town. Walked out on his wife and kids one night. Just drove to another state. Maybe Nebraska, or, Oklahoma. She blamed herself. Blamed herself for breaking up a family. Breaking up a family just out of spite. He found out about it. The whole town did.

She locked herself away. Hid from everybody. If the phone rang, she didn’t answer it. Lived in darkness. A kind of lie to herself. No, he wasn’t sleeping around. Not her man, she said to herself as she waited up for him. She’d pour coffee with a bit of whiskey in it. And wait. Just wait.

And, she threw herself at his feet. Begging for forgiveness. He just looked down on her. Looked down. No more words were exchanged. No more lies.