A few days after Dennis Livingston arrived at Lois Tillman's house for his two-week visit, Lois' estranged husband, Rod, stopped at the house to talk with his wife. The coach planned to make one last attempt to get his wife to see that it was a bad idea for them to break up their marriage.
Almost from the start, the visit didn't go well for Rod. It bothered him that Lois talked to him standing in the kitchen and didn't invite him to sit down, or even offer him a cup of coffee. It also bugged him that his wife seemed to be upset that he was there, but he tried to keep his cool and talk to her calmly.
"Look, honey," he began hopefully, "if you think marriage counseling would help, I'm willing to try it."
Lois felt a pang of anger. Rod obviously hadn't heard a thing she said the last time they talked, but then that was the story of their entire wedded life. Marriage counseling wouldn't erase the fact that he was cheating on her, and probably wouldn't do much for the fact that he was self-centered and inattentive, either. What was even more important was that Lois knew she didn't love her husband any more. "Rod, I'm sorry, we've gone beyond the point where counseling will help," she said.
"Come on, how can you say that?" Rod whined, "I'm really willing to try. I really am."
"You know, Rod," Lois said, "I think its possible you mean that, but it's too late. Our marriage, if that's what it was, is over."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Rod looked at her, puzzled. "Our marriage, if that's what it ever was?"
"Rod, you don't care about me," Lois continued, "and I'm not sure you ever did."
Rod had no idea what his wife was talking about. "Come on," he said, "I do, too, care about you. Christ! I mean, we've been together, what, twenty years?"
"The amount of time we've been together doesn't mean anything," Lois said. Actually, they'd been married eighteen years. The fact he thought it was twenty bothered her. Did it seem longer to him? Lately it did to her. "And it isn't just that. Everything about our relationship has deteriorated, including our sex life!"
From the look on her husband's face, Lois knew she'd touched a nerve.
"Whose fault is that?" Rod yelled. "Christ, I don't see how you can say that. Jesus! I think I've been taking care of business pretty good."
"It doesn't matter," Lois replied. "I can't - and won't - continue to be married to you."
"Jesus Christ!" Rod said. "What the hell's happened to you, Lois? You been reading that women's lib crap, or what? I bust my ass for twenty years to be a good husband, and this is the thanks I get?"
"Have you?" Lois asked softly. She didn't intend to ask that question, she was thinking it, though, and it just popped out.
"Have I what?" Rod replied.
"Have you really tried to be a good, faithful husband?" Lois asked. She was angry, now, and didn't care what she said.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Rod demanded.
Lois thought her husband looked a little pale. "I asked you a question, Rodney," she said softly. She realized she'd used her husband's whole name, which he hated. "You haven't answered it."
"Goddammit, Lois!" Rod stormed, "I don't need to stand here and take this shit from you."
Dennis sat in the spare bedroom, listening to the couple argue. He was scared. Mr. Tillman sounded angry and he was worried the man might try and hurt Mrs. Tillman. He wasn't sure what he could do if that happened. He strained to hear what they were saying. Even though Mrs. Tillman had stuck to her guns about not having sex with him again, they'd begun to develop a friendship in the time he was there. Actually, from Dennis's perspective, their relationship had evolved into more than a friendship. He was smitten with his lovely hostess.
"I asked you a question, Rodney," Lois said.
"What do you want from me?" her husband yelled. "You want me to say I'm cheating on you?"
"Are you?" Lois asked, her voice quavering. She knew he was. Would he admit it?
"What would you do if I said I was?" he asked. "Then what?"
"Rodney, are you going to answer my question?" Lois said, remaining firm.
"Goddammit, Lois, I don't have to put up with this shit!" Rod yelled.
Dennis heard a door slam. He heard Mrs. Tillman walk by his door on the way to her bedroom and it sounded as if she was crying. He wanted to go to her and comfort her, but he was afraid to. He wasn't sure she wanted him to comfort her.
Lois sat in her bed room, crying, for a while. Finally, still angry from the argument with Rod, she got up, got undressed, and slipped on her robe, then she headed for the shower. She and Dennis were going to a play at a local summer stock theater with some of Lois's friends that evening and she had to get ready.
Her friend, Donna, called a couple days earlier. "Lois, I'm so excited," Donna said, "I did some publicity for the first play of the season and I have four tickets, front row center. Brad and I would love to have you and Rod join us. I know how badly you've wanted to see this play."
"Ah...Donna," Lois said, "ah...Rod and I, we...we're separated."
"Oh, God!" Donna said, "I...I didn't know. Oh, Lois, I'm so sorry."
"No way you could have known," Lois told her friend, "It only just happened."
"Well, gee, I...I don't know what to say," Donna stammered. "Would...do...do you still want to go with Brad and me? I mean, the three of us could have fun, and you could probably stand a nice night out, right?"
