He’s your man

At the sound of the shower turning on, Rene woke to an empty bed. The sheets beside him were cold, and the heavy feeling in his chest from the night before still lingered.

The sound of water running in the bathroom made him rub his face, trying to shake off the heaviness.

The argument played over and over in his mind. He knew she was hurt, and he hated that he couldn’t fix it right now. Not without making choices he wasn’t ready to make.

A moment later, when Maria finally walked out of the bathroom, her hair damp and her robe wrapped tightly around her, she didn’t say a word. She barely glanced at him, her movements brisk as she moved about the room. The silent treatment had begun.

“Morning,” Rene ventured cautiously, sitting up in bed, his voice hesitant, testing the waters.

No response.

Maria continued getting ready, her back to him, brushing her hair in front of the mirror. The soft swoosh of the brush against her hair was the only sound in the room, the tension between them ris