I came home after a long day at work. I was very much looking forward to seeing my beautiful wife. She helped to create a welcoming, peaceful atmosphere at home. I loved her more than anything, and we took care of each other in our relatively traditional roles. It worked for us, and we'd never apologize for that.
Today was a bit different. I was met with a cold shoulder. I instantly gathered something was wrong and searched inwardly for something I'd done recently. Nothing came to mind, so I observed her for a while longer. Asking about her day only confirmed her mood. She was definitely being short with me.
"Watch your tone with me," I warned.
She scoffed, and I felt anger rising in my chest. I took a breath and softened my stance. "Where is this coming from?" I asked gently.
"What?" she asked in a gaslighting attempt to avoid confronting her sour attitude.
"Baby, we've talked about this. I need you to be upfront when something is bothering you. Same goes for me. Tell me what's wrong and drop the attitude," I said firmly.
"You don't fucking get it!" she yelled, immediately regretting it when she saw my face change.
My tone changed from gentle and understanding to rigid and serious. "You want to try that again?"
She looked down shamefully, realizing what she'd just done. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."