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I had another argument with my husband this morning. Sometimes I wish I could change my life. Be somebody else. Be somewhere else.
I stomped out on the back porch, fuming. I climbed down the steps leading to the yard careful not to dirty my new sneakers, stopped on the landing, and pondered the future of our relationship. Under the warm April sun, I surveyed the lowcountry marsh in the horizon my jaw locked tight with frustration. The Nate I knew had changed into someone I didn’t recognize anymore.
A pelican took flight with long slow sweeps. The fog had lifted, and the sun shone over the tranquil water of the creek chasing away the shade from under the trees.
Today was Saturday and I would be alone most of the day. Again. My son David had left early to study with friends and my daughter Allison was upstairs organizing a shopping trip. Jonathan, the youngest at sixteen, was still dreaming in bed.
My husband Nate had disappeared in the den, like he did every weekend, to catch up on work. We rarely spent time together anymore, and boredom had replaced passion and adventure in our life as a couple.
“Don’t you get enough excitement at work? I’m sure the Emergency Room offers plenty of action,” he said when I commented on his total lack of enthusiasm.
Yes. At the hospital we dealt on occasion with complex cases like gunshot wounds, or vehicle accidents with multiple traumas, but mostly we treated patients with the flu or other respiratory ailments, minor lacerations, broken bones, etc. Being an Emergency Room physician was stimulating but not nearly as exciting as he thought.
I strolled in my backyard along the path leading to the live oak and admired the various shades of green of the budding boxwood and the vibrant pink of the azaleas. Spring was later than usual this year and I was happy to get a chance to enjoy the sunshine before the suffocating heat of the summer settled in.
Perhaps this year would be different: the whole family could travel down to the Keys and my husband and two sons could go fishing with my brother. I knew he would be thrilled with the idea of spending quality time with his nephews. For my part, I would explore the shops in downtown Key West with my daughter and my sister-in-law. There were so many things to see and we could sample the fresh local seafood with a cold glass of iced tea in one of those outdoor cafes.
I scanned the grounds and, way in the back, an odd-looking piece of trash caught my eye.