Alright so last Tuesday night something hit me while washing dishes. My wife had that look again – you know, the one where her eyes go all distant like she’s watching bad TV static. Usually I’d just scrub pans louder and hope it passed. This time? I took a breath and did the damn thing we avoid.
Starting Awkward AF
Wiped my hands dripping wet and sat next to her on the couch. Didn’t even turn off Law & Order reruns. Just blurted out “That thing earlier… when I snapped about the trash can lid… that felt crappy.” God it sounded so stiff. Like reading a grocery list.
The Actual Try-Hard Part
Fumbled through this nonsense:
- Stopped multitasking: Muted the TV finally. Put my damn phone face down
- Used “I” words instead of finger-pointing: “I felt like an idiot when the lid slammed” vs “You never close it”
- Shut up after talking: Seriously hardest part. Counted three Mississippis in my head while she stared at her nails
She finally mumbled “Yeah well the way you slammed it made me jump”. Progress? Maybe?
What Actually Happened
Got real quiet for like five minutes. Then she suddenly laughed: “You look constipated trying not to talk”. We both cracked up. Ended up eating ice cream straight from the tub at 11pm talking about:
- How her boss micromanages
- Why I panic when the garage door squeaks
- That stupid trash can neither of us actually likes
Monday Morning Reality Check
Didn’t fix everything obviously. Yesterday she still rolled her eyes when I left socks on the floor. But now? Instead of silent treatment all afternoon she just threw them at my head yelling “I FEEL LIKE YOUR LAUNDRY MAID”. We’re learning.
