Gemotions

"We need to be more frugal, honey," Martha had declared just last week, as she poured over the grocery bills. Robert had nodded, understanding. Now, the statement – a paper he'd found on the desk – told a different story. A second mortgage. A hefty one.

His chest constricted. He felt the blood draining from his face. He’d confided in her about his struggles. He had trusted her. The carefully constructed facade of their life, of their shared struggles, crumbled around him.

He slammed the door of the study a little too hard. He couldn't concentrate. He sat there for a long time, staring out the window, at the neatly manicured lawn, the meticulously planned garden. He knew that the only thing he wanted to do was drive away.