Linda

No Place Like Home

What was that movie? The one with Billy Crystal? When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. That's how Linda felt now. Linda and Tim had been a great love story. If it was a great love story once why couldn't it be again? She just had to figure it out. She would make a delicious dinner. Tim loved to eat. So did she. She would give the house a good going over. But when she walked through the door Tim was there. He wasn't supposed to be.

"You left work" was all she could think of to say.

"I had a few things to take care of" he said and he sounded angry.

"Oh" Linda was flustered, "did you get them taken care of?"

"You know" he spoke slowly, "I don't claim to be the brightest guy in the world. I don't know all there is to know about computers. But I know a few things. I know how to check someone's browser history."

"Oh" It was all Linda could think of to say.

"Yes oh" he replied, "Why do you need to go on all those dating sites? Dozens of them. What's going on Linda?"

"I was just looking" she said weakly, "It doesn't hurt to look."

"Yes it does. It hurts a lot. Am I not enough for you? Because this is the first I'm hearing about it."

"Sometimes I wonder" she reasoned, "don't you ever wonder what else is out there?"

"I don't go on dating sites"

"Well even the most delicious meal gets old if you have to eat it every day."

"So I'm an old meal"

"Tell me we're not in a rut" Linda was getting mad, "It's not like it was when we were first married."

"Of course not. That was a long time ago. We're different people."

"Well I want it to be." Linda was getting heated, "I want to live with someone who wants me"

"And I don't want you?" he souded confused.

"You don't show it. she countered.

"Do you?"

"I don't know." Linda was ready to cry.

"The bottom line is that if you don't want me, I don't want you. Unrequited love is for doormats" he said

"I didn't say I don't want you"

"So what do we do?" he asked

"I'm going to make dinner" she said and she brushed past him into the kitchen. She got a head of lettuce out of the refridgerator and chose a sharp knife. She began cutting it up.

Tim stood in the doorway "I love you." he said. "Don't you know that?"

"You don't show it" she answered, "and that's the problem. That's the whole problem."

"Fair enough" he said "I will try to show it more. I guess I took you for granted."

"I guess you did"

Tim went into the next room and turned on the evening news. Linda felt strangely unsatisfied. He would try to show it more. What did that mean? Did she want to give him a second chance. Linda thought about living alone. She didn't want to. Maybe this was her fault. Maybe she didn't work hard enough to make it exciting. She loved him once. She still loved him. He was her husband. She had made promises. What made me fall in love with him? Come on, think. Linda walked into the next room and watched him, watching television. Were they going to make it? Linda felt a sadder than she had ever felt before. She just didn't know.