"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she replied.
"Come on, I'm your sister. I know better. What's going on?"
"I don't feel like talking about it."
"Okay, that's progress. You just confirmed something is wrong. Now why don't you tell me what that something might be?"
"Why? It won't change anything."
"Maybe not, but it always helps to talk about it. Just having someone to share things with always makes us feel better."
She really couldn't argue. She and her sister had shared every secret they'd ever had and that included her sister telling her about the affair her she'd had three years ago. She knew the circumstances were very similar in her own marriage, but that didn't mean she had to give in to temptation. She laughed to herself at the thought. What temptation? There was no temptation because there was no other man and there never had been. Still, with the way her husband was behaving and given the right set of circumstances...
"So are you gonna get this off your chest or suffer in silence some more?"
Lisa Kennedy had just turned 35 and never felt worse in her life. Everyone she knew, including her older sister, Lauren, told her she was still beautiful, but she sure didn't feel that way. And the way her husband, Michael, had increasingly chosen to be gone far more often than necessary for the last three years (and emotionally unavailable when he was home), only added to her growing sense of frustration and insecurity.
It all sounded eerily similar to the way things had unfolded for her older sister, Lauren, when her former husband, Ken, had started finding reasons to stay on the road more and more often. Lisa remembered how much it hurt her to watch Lauren recount one story after another of how lonely she felt night after night; nights she was spending alone more often than not.
Michael's seeming voluntary abandonment was especially troubling because he and Ken were brothers and Michael had followed his older brother in virtually everything they'd done from high school sports to majoring in the same subject at the same college to choosing the same careers to this wanting to be away from home thing. Michael didn't do what Ken did at the same time but rather a few years later after watching his older brother.
That scared Lisa to her core because she'd done nothing but love Michael since the day they'd met. She wasn't a perfect spouse let alone a perfect person, but she'd worked very hard to be a good, caring, loving, supportive and yes, even a beautiful wife, and now she was watching it all slip away just like her sister had.
Lauren began warning her nearly two years ago, but Lisa refused to listen. Willful ignorance didn't make it go away, but it somehow seemed preferable to facing the very real possibility her own husband could be cheating on her.
To her credit, Lauren had remained faithful until she was sure Ken was screwing other women and then gave up and gave in. She'd filed for divorce around the same time so it wasn't as though she'd snuck around behind her husband's back the way he'd done to her. Still, she had slept with other men before she was divorced and they'd both been raised to think believe that was a huge 'no-no.'
And now Lisa was being forced to face the inevitable and wondering whether or not she could weather the storm with as much grace and strength as her sister had.
"It's Michael, isn't it?" Lauren asked. "I know he's spending even more time on the road these days than before and he was gone way too much then. That's it, isn't it?"
Lisa didn't speak but she did nod her head. She wasn't looking at her, but Lauren intuitively knew she was on the verge of crying. She got up and sat next to her younger sister and put her arm around her.
"They're nomads, Lisa. They're wanderers. And...they're assholes."
Lisa managed a nervous chuckle as tears began falling.
"Lord knows I tried and I know you're trying, too. But some guys can't settle down. Oh, sure. They can try. They might even do it for some period of time, but eventually 'the call of the wild' wins out. I watched it happen right before my very eyes and I see it happening to you, too. So please, Lisa...open yours."
Lisa shook her head and tried to talk but couldn't. Lauren didn't need her sister to speak.
"It's okay. I'm pretty sure I know what you're going to say anyway. Like me, you've tried everything. You work out four days a week, you're a great cook, and well, you can be rather creative in the bedroom. And all to avail. Is that about right?"
Lisa inhaled deeply then slowly exhaled as she nodded again.
Lisa finally spoke. "Uh-huh. You're not 'just about' right. You're exactly right. It's happening to me the same way it did to you. You were all those things, too, Lauren, and nothing helped."
"No, it didn't. In fact, it just kept getting worse. The harder I tried the more Ken pulled away. At some point, I did, too. I had no intention of cheating. I've always hated 'the other woman.' But then again, I wasn't really the other woman, was I? I was more the woman scorned. Or at least the woman...utterly neglected. Do you know how many times we made love the last year we were together?"
"You told me, remember?" Lisa said without being critical.
"I know, I know. We really do tell each other everything, huh? But a year without sex is...unconscionable. For that matter, once a month is essentially abstinence in my humble opinion while anything less may as well be abstinence. And the year before that we might have averaged once every 4-6 weeks. I'm no sex fiend or nympho, but dammit, I like sex! I didn't get married to be a nun!"
Lauren put her arm around Lisa and said, "Sorry, sis. Here I am rehashing my old problems when you're the one who's dealing with this...crap...right here and right now."
She hugged her sister then said, "Is there anything I can do to help other than be here for you?"
Lisa tried to laugh as she hugged back and said, "Not unless you can turn yourself into a handsome, kind, decent, single man who wouldn't mind sleeping with an old maid my age."
Lauren laughed loudly before Lisa joined in.
"Stop! Don't be mean," Lisa said.
"Sorry. It's just that I'm three years older than you, and you're talking like you're this 80-year old, shriveled-up hen. I'd kill to have your body."
Lauren looked at her sister then smiled and said, "Or your boobs. Or your butt. Or your..."
"Okay. Okay. I get it. But I feel like I may as well be 80 years old."
"Join the club," Lauren said.
Then wanting to be more supportive she asked Lisa, "How long has it been, sweetie?"
"Four months," she said quietly. "And counting."
"Jesus. I'm so sorry. I wish I could say things will change, but, well...Michael is Ken's brother, right?"
"And we can't kill them, can we?" Lisa said only half jokingly.
"Don't tempt me," Lauren said before they both laughed loudly again. "I thought about turning into Lorena Bobbit more times than I can count."
"Oh, right. The woman who cut off her husband's..."
