The Silent Listen

Kevin and Sarah

"Well I won't sign if he won't sign, but its not like I care either way" Sarah said brusquely.

"So you are telling me that anything I say once I sign it, she won't be able to hold it over against me?" Kevin inquired a little too enthusiastically.

"Only what you say for the next 24 hours dear, " Sarah interjected "that's what the therapist actually said," to mask her growing uneasy at her husband's seeming elation of such an unusual proposal.

"But can I have that contract laminated?" Kevin asked meekly "you know, just to be sure?" He said in a cautious way as he knew his wife was already irritated with him.

"If you really want to sign it then you go ahead and sign it Kevin" his wife replied cautiously so as to not betray her own growing curiosity. 

"Or maybe copies, because you can never be too careful right?" Kevin addressed the doctor conducting their therapy session.

"He obviously wants to go through with it but as expected, you cannot commit to even that, can you dear?" Sarah retorted also looking towards the doctor and not glancing at her spouse.

"I am just being thorough Sarah, you don't want this thing to backfire now do you?" Kevin said as he cupped the air in front of him looking straight ahead, a habit he had when he felt he was losing ground. The fact of this habit was not lost on Sarah.

"Why worry? You know me, I can let things go. It's you who analyze things over and over until you sap the fun out of life," said Sarah who was trying to see if her husband would take the bait. She didn't want to be seen as first to agree to such a strange experiment. Not when she could have her husband do that for her.

"You see what I'm saying Doc? I am trying to work on us. But she undermines me at every turn!"

"That isn't fair Kevin and you know it."

"I'm willing to work through our...troubles, so why can't you?" Said Kevin this time more calmly addressing his wife. Why he wondered is she offering so much resistance? Since it was she who wanted him to talk more to her, and he loves her more than anything or anyone. 

Sarah verbally jabbed back at him without turning, unwilling to give up any ground, and saying, "I don't even know what we are doing in here, can you imagine what your poor mother would think if she knew we ended up in couple's counseling?" She felt she was gaining more ground and wanted to keep up that momentum.

"Don't change the subject again," her husband replied "it was you that said we needed to have better communication."

"How dare you!" Sarah exclaimed and this time addressing her husband directly, "I wanted to talk more yes, but alone...together that is, not in a psych ward!"

"It can only help..." he paused, choosing his words carefully, "to have our talks with a professional around Sarah," he said this time more gently to reassure her. "Besides we got referred remember?"

"Oh by those Martins," Sarah accomplished an eye roll by using only her tone and words, "as if their marriage was something to be proud of" she continued and then added, "they are just trying to one up us, and you are playing right into their grimy and uncivil hands." She knew this would get a rise out of her husband.

"Therapy worked for the Carters you know," Kevin replied level headedly, refusing to play into his wife's ploy.

"Kevin they divorced!"

"What!? No not because of that." Kevin started to feel like a sailing vessel taking on water. "I meant because they didn't fight anymore after some therapy"

"Because they got a divorce?!" Just saying that word aloud frightened Sarah. She didn't mean to say it so harshly. It was a shock to even consider the thought in the context of their relationship. Also it bothered her that she was unable to organize her normally well composed thoughts. Being out of her element, and instead inside this dull grey social laboratory was why she felt so scatter brained, she reasoned.