Family Reunion Time

"What's wrong?" my spouse queries as he makes his way down the stairs to find me pacing in the center of the kitchen.

"I burned the pie."

"You.. what?"

"I burned the pie, I burned the damn PIE!"

There is reason for his surprise. I am renowned throughout my family as the 'baker'. My confections are discussed and sought out and every reunion finds people waiting to see what I will bring this time. To burn a pie? ME?? Ludicrous.

My spouse moves to assess the damage, a wry smile touching his lips. He knows what a perfectionist I am. "Well, the crust is a bit browner than usual."

"Browner?? IT IS BLACK!" My tone is quick, snappish, voice rising slightly. I don't even know why I am so upset, but I stand there, fighting the urge to cry -- which means I sound angry, although I really am not.

"You can bake another one, hon. Besides, we have lots more to bring. You have enough!"

"No, I don't! It's not enough!" The words reverberate in the back of my mind as though they were a train on track... it's not enough, it's not enough...

He crosses the room although still remains a wary few paces from me. I am a rather volatile person and it has been a difficult week for me. I have been snappish, moody and downright mean at times and until this exact moment, I didn't know why.

"So, what's really wrong?" he asks quietly, then waits. I love this man, you know. We are mostly polar opposites. I am flamboyant and moody, full of nervous energy. I rarely sit for long. He is patient and calm, steady. He has loved me for more than 20 years, in spite of...

I don't answer at first, staring off somewhere over his right shoulder as my vision blurs and I feel the sting of tears behind my lids.

"It is the first family reunion without Kathy," I state softly. His arms close round me to pull me tight as the tears scald hotly down my cheek and onto his shirt.

Sweet release, why do I fight it so... tears are cleansing.

A gentle hand strokes my cheek and wipes away a few before he lifts my face to kiss my lips tenderly. There isn't anything to say. The day still stretches long and difficult before me. I don't have to face it alone though, and I know now that I am not. He smiles at me, our bodies snug against each other and I notice something else becoming more prominent.

Swallowing past my tears (they never last long), I giggle, reaching up to kiss him again. "You always get horny when I cry." He just laughs and pulls me close. Crisis over. I will make it through the day.