“I miss you,” she said.
“I’m only going to work,” he replied.
“Yes, but I still miss you.”
She lay across the sheets, nude except for a pair of earrings and a single ring on her wedding finger. She began to remove an earring that had come askew earlier during their lovemaking.
“Do you think of me, while you’re working?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” said James.
“Because I think of you.”
“I don’t have time Elise,” he said. His voice was starting to sound a little curt and edgy now, slightly annoyed.
He was dressing in a hurry, throwing quick glances in her direction but distracted by thoughts of the day ahead already. He was no longer with her in the room.

She rolled over, unwilling to get up and re-dress. It was already near ten but she didn’t care. Today would just be like any other. Make a few calls, run a few errands, cook dinner for her husband. It was all the same. Why couldn’t James stay here with her, just for today, just this once?
“Why do you have to go?” she questioned him, lolling about on the bed attempting to look beguiling, “We could do that thing you’ve always wanted to try” she said, with a crooked, sexy grin on her face.
“You’re a wicked temptress but I’m already late,” he said grinning, only momentarily distracted. He carried on, picking up his keys and wallet off the dresser. James was 60 seconds off leaving.
“Well come here and kiss me, and pretend that you love me this time,” she demanded. Her face suddenly changing to a dark frown. The time of parting – or more pointedly – his departure, always pained her. She felt hollow and empty as soon as the front door closed behind him and she was left alone with the silence of the house. It enveloped her, tormented her and the watching of the clock began. Counting down the minutes, until the evening. She hated the days.

For a long while after he left, she lay on the bed. Trying to extend the interlude by remaining frozen, hoping to halt time and listening to all the street noise. Cars, neighbours, currawongs, dogs. Suddenly she heard a sound that didn’t belong to this cacophony of noise – a familiar sound but out of place at this time of day. The key was turning in the front door and someone was entering.

Elise jumped out of bed not fully alarmed yet, but just at that pause seconds before all senses are drowned with the appropriate reaction. She stepped into the hall and looked straight down toward the front door. Her husband Gavin walked in, he had returned home for some unknown reason. She was still nude, except for her wedding ring.
He looked at her puzzled, but with a slim grin on his face, “What are you doing naked darling?”