DeAndre grumbled as the waitress left their table. Melanie sighed and tugged gently on a curl.
“What’s the problem this time,” he asked her. She looked at him and managed a tired smile.
“Nothing love, just tired.”
He nodded and picked lent off of his lap. He twiddled his thumbs and started humming gently to himself. Melanie snapped back to reality and glared at him.
“Can you not darling,” she said and reached across the table to grab his hands. He furrowed his brow and placed his hands in his lap. “Fine.”
They ate their food in strained silence. When the waitress came back with dessert menus he laid his down on the table. “Why can’t we get back in our groove Melanie?” He sounded scared, and sad. She lowered her shoulders and hung her head. “I don’t know babe, I just...” she trailed off as tears filled her eyes.
“Oh don’t cry Mel, don’t...don’t cry.” He raised his voice and started pointing. “That’s just not fair-”
“Fair?” she said, her voice surprisingly loud. “You want to talk about fair?! What isn’t fair is how often we fight about bullshit. I just want to be myself again and it feels like all you want is this picture perfect Melanie. Smiley Mel, poised Mel, ready to go the newest and suavest event at any given moment, makeup always done Mel. That isn’t me. That was never me, and I just wanted you to like me but that was never me...” her voice was shaking and her hands were franticly grabbing at her thighs.
DeAndre was taken aback. For once he saw her for her and he knew it was over. He reached out and touched her face. She leaned into his hand and shed a tear. He wiped her face and cleared his throat. “Melanie, I never wanted you to be someone you’re not. I’m so sorry, I am terribly sorry for making you feel that you had to box yourself in. I think maybe we should take some time and just be ourselves. Alone. For a while.” She nodded and placed her napkin on the table. “I need to go. I’ll expect you to be out of the house by the end of tomorrow.” He grabbed her hand one last time as she got up and left and as she felt her hand slip out of his, she knew “for a while” was going to be forever.
