buddy—as far as the State of Massachusetts is concerned, our marriage doesn’t even exist!”
“What is that supposed to mean? Are you threatening me?”
“I’m just stating a fact. Hang on to that letter as long as you want. I know the truth—you’re not really my husband. Not in any sense of the word. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go give our new dog a bath. He’ll be sleeping on your side of the bed tonight. Enjoy the couch.”
9
CASEY
H ey, hon.” Nick barely looked up from the televised basketball game as I came through the front door of our cozy apartment. “How was work?”
“Busy.” I shucked off my bulky parka and stooped down to greet the cats, Maisy and Tate. While they jostled each other trying to get my attention, I tried to get Nick’s. “Did a ton of business before noon. People are finally starting to try the premium foods, and I managed to move about half of the Kongs I ordered last week. If we keep going like this, I might be able to hire an assistant soon…”
But he wasn’t even pretending to listen. His eyes were glued to the TV as he raised his can of Foster’s to his lips.
“Honey,” I said gently. “Remember when we talked about using glasses instead of drinking straight out of the can?”
“Uh-huh.” He grabbed the remote and upped the TV volume.
I sighed and raised my voice to compete with the sports announcer’s. “And remember how we talked about using coasters?”
“Sorry.” He swiped at the wet rings on the coffee table with his sweat sock–encased foot.
I opened my mouth again, then realized that I had started to sound exactly like Bree on Desperate Housewives. While I hung up my coat, I tried to ignore the clutter and potato chip crumbs surrounding my husband and silently repeated sage snippets of advice from all those relationship books I’d read before the wedding. What was that question I was supposed to ask myself when I was tempted to nag my spouse? Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?
I wanted to be happy. Definitely. Happy all the way.
Except was it so much to ask to have a clean carpet, too? How hard would it be for him to use a bowl or a napkin, or—
“I fixed the shower,” Nick announced, turning his attention back to me as a commercial flashed onto the screen.
“You did?” My irritation melted into relief, then guilt. See? He helped out around the house. Besides, he put in long hours at his father’s law office all day. The man was exhausted. Why was I always so quick to find fault?
“Yep. Ran to the hardware store after work.”
“Thank you.” I unwound my wool scarf and draped it overthe coat hanger. “You’re my hero. I need a hot shower like nobody’s business.”
“No problem.” He made a vague kissy noise, then put his beer can back down on the coffee table.
Without a coaster.
“What?” he demanded when he saw the expression on my face.
“Nothing, nothing.” I rubbed my upper arms. “Just warming up. Hey, could you do me a favor and start dinner while I shower? What do we have in the fridge?”
“Not much.” He buried his hand in the bag of chips. “We’re pretty much down to yogurt and broccoli.”
“You didn’t get a chance to go to the grocery store?” I had planned to go on my lunch break, but he’d taken the shopping list with him this morning, insisting that he would do it.
“I went to the hardware store.” He sounded offended. “I can’t do everything. ”
“I know, but…” Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy? “Okay, no problem, we’ll order pizza.”
“Whatever.” Another handful of chips. “I’m not that hungry.”
I filled the cats’ dishes on my way to the bathroom, where I got undressed, pulled my hair up into a ponytail, and reached for the faucet.
“Um, Nick?”
“Yeah?”
“About the faucet? Where’s the knob to turn on the hot water?”
“It broke off,” he yelled.
I opened the bathroom door and poked my head into the
“What is that supposed to mean? Are you threatening me?”
“I’m just stating a fact. Hang on to that letter as long as you want. I know the truth—you’re not really my husband. Not in any sense of the word. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go give our new dog a bath. He’ll be sleeping on your side of the bed tonight. Enjoy the couch.”
9
CASEY
H ey, hon.” Nick barely looked up from the televised basketball game as I came through the front door of our cozy apartment. “How was work?”
“Busy.” I shucked off my bulky parka and stooped down to greet the cats, Maisy and Tate. While they jostled each other trying to get my attention, I tried to get Nick’s. “Did a ton of business before noon. People are finally starting to try the premium foods, and I managed to move about half of the Kongs I ordered last week. If we keep going like this, I might be able to hire an assistant soon…”
But he wasn’t even pretending to listen. His eyes were glued to the TV as he raised his can of Foster’s to his lips.
“Honey,” I said gently. “Remember when we talked about using glasses instead of drinking straight out of the can?”
“Uh-huh.” He grabbed the remote and upped the TV volume.
I sighed and raised my voice to compete with the sports announcer’s. “And remember how we talked about using coasters?”
“Sorry.” He swiped at the wet rings on the coffee table with his sweat sock–encased foot.
I opened my mouth again, then realized that I had started to sound exactly like Bree on Desperate Housewives. While I hung up my coat, I tried to ignore the clutter and potato chip crumbs surrounding my husband and silently repeated sage snippets of advice from all those relationship books I’d read before the wedding. What was that question I was supposed to ask myself when I was tempted to nag my spouse? Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?
I wanted to be happy. Definitely. Happy all the way.
Except was it so much to ask to have a clean carpet, too? How hard would it be for him to use a bowl or a napkin, or—
“I fixed the shower,” Nick announced, turning his attention back to me as a commercial flashed onto the screen.
“You did?” My irritation melted into relief, then guilt. See? He helped out around the house. Besides, he put in long hours at his father’s law office all day. The man was exhausted. Why was I always so quick to find fault?
“Yep. Ran to the hardware store after work.”
“Thank you.” I unwound my wool scarf and draped it overthe coat hanger. “You’re my hero. I need a hot shower like nobody’s business.”
“No problem.” He made a vague kissy noise, then put his beer can back down on the coffee table.
Without a coaster.
“What?” he demanded when he saw the expression on my face.
“Nothing, nothing.” I rubbed my upper arms. “Just warming up. Hey, could you do me a favor and start dinner while I shower? What do we have in the fridge?”
“Not much.” He buried his hand in the bag of chips. “We’re pretty much down to yogurt and broccoli.”
“You didn’t get a chance to go to the grocery store?” I had planned to go on my lunch break, but he’d taken the shopping list with him this morning, insisting that he would do it.
“I went to the hardware store.” He sounded offended. “I can’t do everything. ”
“I know, but…” Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy? “Okay, no problem, we’ll order pizza.”
“Whatever.” Another handful of chips. “I’m not that hungry.”
I filled the cats’ dishes on my way to the bathroom, where I got undressed, pulled my hair up into a ponytail, and reached for the faucet.
“Um, Nick?”
“Yeah?”
“About the faucet? Where’s the knob to turn on the hot water?”
“It broke off,” he yelled.
I opened the bathroom door and poked my head into the
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