Chapter 3

She stood over the salmon and reached for the olive oil. David was still sitting on the couch and had switched to a crossword. As the fish changed color, Ariel imagined the living room without David. Then, slowly, she began to imagine each room empty; the study filled with only her books and laptop, her posters and small treasures. David glanced at her.

"We should talk about this. We can't keep ending the conversation by one of us leaving the room."
She looked up at him. "I wonder who set up that precendent."
He walked over to the kitchen and put his hand on her shoulder. "I don't want to fight."
She relaxed her posture. "The first time I bring up having children you blow me off. How am I supposed to be acting right now?"
"I'm just not ready."
"When we met you said you wanted a big family, didn't you? What happened to that?"
He looked towards the refrigerator and back at her. "I just want it to be us for a while longer."
She placed the salmon and asparagus delicately on a white serving platter. "Well, I don't know if I can wait that long."
He took off the lid to the pot holding the rice. "Let me think about it, okay?" He put his hands around her shoulders and stroked her neck. "I love you. You know that, right?"
She exhaled deeply. "I do."

Chapter 2

David worked for Eversharp, a corporation that commissions people to sell high-end knives. He paid for his own training, but had enough wealthy acquaintances via his family that he was able to maintain a relatively good living. Every day he had between three and five appointments, with each one lasting about an hour. Most days he was gone for close to nine hours, between driving across town and the gaps between sessions. His meals were usually rushed; which meant chocolate-chip protein bars and kombucha, with the occasional package of beef jerky thrown in.

Ariel tied together her blue dress and walked down the steps of their apartment complex. She worked for Billy's, an independently owned clothing boutique on the strip. Seventy percent of the clientele were college-aged locals, the other thirty were tourists asking for directions.  Her manager, Victoria, never took a liking to her. Victoria was the type of woman who voluntarily listened to the music Ariel was forced to.  The products were to her taste, so Ariel dismissed the majority of her silent complaints. She would come home with a new scarf, skirt, or dress, and David never objected. The job was to support her hobbies and their savings account.

Today, they came home at the same time. She threw her keys on the kitchen counter and lazily opened the refrigerator door. David went straight for the couch and put on The Daily Show.

"Well, either we need to go to the grocery store, or we can go out," she said finally.
"Grocery store. Going out sounds painful."
"Fine, I'll go."
He turned towards her. "I'll go with you."
"No, you finish your show. Just tell me what you want."
 "I want for you not to be mad at me."
"We're mad at each other, but I don't feel like talking about it." She started towards the door.
"Fish, brown rice, and broccoli."
"Do you have a preference what kind of fish?"
"No, you can pick that."
"Thanks. I'll be back." She left.