A Complicated Distance

Toni rubbed the back of her neck and logged off her computer. She’d finished the paperwork for the clinic , checked her watch and glanced at the window, it was nearly seven thirty. Richie wasn’t home yet, he never seemed to get home for dinner anymore and she’d quit coming home and cooking every night. She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, leftover meatloaf would make a good sandwich, when was it made? Ah night before last, still good. Saturday night, last time she and Richie had sat down to a meal. Last night they had eaten at the restaurant, after Andy and Lucy’s wedding.

She didn’t want to think about the wedding, she’d cried not for Lucy and Andy but for herself and Richie. They couldn’t seem to get back to where they were and she didn’t know what to do about it. She could see it in his eyes, a distance that wasn’t there before. He claimed he loved her and she believed that. She loved him too. So what was the problem?

The phone conversation she’d had with her father about Travis bothered her too. She couldn’t imagine what he could have said to her father to make him ask such a question of her. There was no affair, there wasn’t anything…except…except what? She put her sandwich on a plate and walked over to the table and sat down. He was a friend, somebody she could talk to that was all. But she hadn’t talked to him lately so maybe she didn’t even have that. The last phone conversation she’d had with him she’d told him to stop pulling that rope trying to pull her to him. Maybe he had.

She wished Richie would come home.

It was 8:15 when he finally got home. Toni was watching TV in his den. She listened to his keys hitting the bowl on the hall table and turned toward the door. He walked into the kitchen and then looked in the den.

“No dinner?”

“Not this time of night.”

“Sorry about that, time just got away from me.” He loosened his tie and came in giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and sat on the opposite end of the sofa.

“Were you working this late?”

“I stopped for a drink.” He kicked off his shoes.

Toni shifted so that she was facing him, “so you’ve had a liquid dinner tonight.”

“I wouldn’t say that”

“What would you say?”

“What are you talking about?” He looked at her.

“I don’t know, what would you say if I said I’ve been wishing you were home for the last hour. You don’t come straight home from work anymore why is that?”

“Hey I said I was sorry, I’ll do better, I will. I’m under a lot of stress right now.”

“What kind of stress?”

“Work, I’ve got several things going, it’s stressful, complicated.”

“I’ll tell you what’s complicated…our relationship.”

“Oh Toni, don’t start with that tonight I just stopped off for a few drinks, got talking to the guys and didn’t pay attention to the time, I said I was sorry.”

“That’s right, you did say that, several times…but you aren’t.” Toni got up and went upstairs.

Richie closed his eyes and lay his head back on the sofa.

Toni was in bed when he came up later. He undressed and slid under the cover, his back to her.

“Richie?”

“I thought you were asleep.” He turned over.

“No…love me Richie.”

“Oh Toni, I do,” He kissed her and pulled her against him, “I do, baby I do.”