For a second, Matthew had to hide his grin. Lyle was right; Matthew hadn’t experienced any of that. But wasn’t it really just the same old story with a different title? Matthew’s parents had been together for longer than most couples in their fine country and if anyone took the time to ask, his mother would have happily told them the reason why. Communication. With sane, respectful, sincere communication (sans any form of expletive—”Because that,” she would say, “not only means you lack creativity but that you don’t care if your tongue is spitting acid into the face of the person you’re talking to”), a person could overcome any disagreement. Wars, she said, would cease to exist if both parties were willing to communicate sincerely.
“Have you talked to him about it?” Matthew asked.
Lyle c
