Lonely Wife

My name is Ava Whitmore. I'm a married woman, and my husband, Ethan Whitmore, is a merchant mariner who spends nearly three hundred days a year aboard ship. Living alone can be lonely, but I never once thought about betraying him. Whenever Ethan came home on shore leave, he always did everything he could to keep me satisfied. He was attentive, affectionate, and wildly inventive in ways that made the long months apart feel almost bearable. Afterward, he would take a few private photos and videos as keepsakes, saying he needed something to ease the loneliness when he was back aboard ship. Whenever he had a signal, we would video call, or exchange messages late at night, letting words carry the longing we couldn't act on in person. Ethan treated me well. Afraid I would get bored at home by myself, he often mailed me all kinds of strange sea creatures whenever he was shipping out, saying they were little surprises from the ocean. This time, he sent me two giant geoduck clams. The moment I opened the package, my face burned red. Their shape was far too suggestive, and over the video call, Ethan laughed so hard he nearly doubled over. "Babe, when you miss me, just look at them," he said, grinning. "I caught them to my own size." I was so embarrassed I wanted to crawl through the screen and hit him. We chatted for a little while longer, but his bad reception soon cut the call short. A while later, he texted me. Ethan: Babe, you should try them. They're better than anything in your drawer. I stared at the two enormous things sitting in the basin, my heart pounding harder than it should have. I reached out and touched one. The texture was unsettlingly lifelike. For a long time, I stood there hesitating. In the end, I still couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I took something familiar from the cabinet and went into the bathroom. After my shower, another message from Ethan came through. Ethan: Babe, did you try it? How was it? Ava: I didn't. It's too scary. Ethan: Just give it a try. That thing knows what it's doing. I tested it for you with my hand. Don't be scared. Use protection. Faced with his constant urging, I could only put him off for the moment. Ava: Tomorrow night. I'm tired today.