What Went Wrong?

"Not like I love you." She didn’t bat an eye.

"You love me?"

"Jeff," she forced out the question that had tormented her since she woke up in her empty bed, "Jeff, why? Why did you leave me?"

"You didn’t say you loved me. We had made what I consider to this day, the most incredible love two human beings in the history of the world had ever made. I would have died for you that night if you would have asked me. Then you got up, washed your body of myself, and turned your back to me… I left, thinking that’s what you wanted. I was heartbroken. I just sat in my car. I bawled my eyes out for the first time in twenty years. I couldn’t force myself to go back inside to be rejected again by the only woman I’ve ever loved." Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he swallowed hard.

Beth cried, too. "When you moved back in, I was having a rough period. Sorry, I know you hate that talk. I wanted you so badly, but I have my hang ups. When it was finally over, I had such a bad day. Both kids had been acting up, Marianne with her teeth, and Jason with his crash cars. Dad took the kids, and I went to church, just to get my head together. I didn’t know what to do to get, well, rockin’ again. I prayed to God that you still found me attractive. It always seemed to me like we just fit, but I’ve always felt inferior to the… others. Later on, I didn’t want the lovemaking to end." Beth sobbed. "But, my folks would be bringing the kids back in just a few hours. I knew if I fell asleep I might not get a shower for another sixteen hours, or more. I didn’t want to be scrambling for a night shirt when the door bell rang, so I pulled on a clean one after my shower, and dropped exhausted into bed. I don’t remember what position I was in. I only knew that I had totally and completely, given you all that my heart and body had to give. When I woke up you were gone. You didn’t come home after work, or at all that night, or the next. You were gone, no note, no phone call, no nothing. When I drove by here, I saw the Camaro, and knew you’d really left me. I lost it. I never knew what I had done."

Each one could hardly believe what they were hearing. They stared into each others eyes, and wanted to come together. Jeff glanced toward the bedroom, Beth nodded yes. They went into his room, and shut the door.