The wife I forgot to love

on Thursday w

. She had stopped making dinner three days ago.

she looked back and neither of them said anyth

uld end the mar

," sh

would be out by Sunday and went upstairs and sat on the edge of their bed and listened to his footst

called

lena said when C

nce. Then, "I'm al

wine. She just sat on the bed next to Helena and held her ha

nday," Helena

n stay

nds. "I knew, Cass. I knew when I walked back up those stairs after the co

you o

said. "But I'

nothing else. Which was the kindest

ay c

hes first. The ones she had bought herself. Not the blue dress he had said he liked, not the cream blouse

econd bag when the gu

all. A pause outsi

len

she said. "Give

t rushi

rned a

d not let herself feel anything about that. He looked at her two bags and her one box and the stripped side of the w

y those dow

m o

et me do s

th her and somewhere in the middle of it stopped seeing what that

it up with

he front door. Then she went back to the kitchen. She had l

n the kitch

ad left his coffee every morning before he was even awake. The chair by th

ed the s

two. She stood there for a moment looking at the two she was leaving. He would not use them. He would not notice the

ed the s

come back in. He was looking at the jar in her hand and then at the two on

hing she had never

d. Quietly. Like the w

," she said.

im. Picked up her

y. I know it is not enough. I know it does n

e. At the face she had looked

years of seeing her. Sorry was not coffee made before she woke up. S

s left when everything

of yourself

alked

Not crying. Just looking at the window boxes she had planted i

l apartment without looking

photo on the windowsill. She let herself fall apart for exact

ee for this apartment. Figure out what Helena actually wants. No

start to move in her chest. Not happiness. Not yet. S

asleep when h

was c

ey hit the door and making his coffee before her own without him ever once noticing enough to mention it. She thought

ed the re

phone fa

ark and clos

ould be official. Tomorrow she would walk out of that la

she just nee