When the Lights Go Out

An older couple's intimate conversation in the dark.

    The doors all locked, the downstairs lights out and the tv off. Joe trudged up to his room with his dog in tow. After a minute in the master bathroom Joe stood in the doorway kicking off his slippers and gazing at his beautiful wife of thirty years. She sat on her side of the bed, legs crossed Indian style reading a paperback Stephen King novel. She was wearing her favorite cotton not-to-nighty. She looked up at him over her glasses. He gave her a smile.

“What?” she said.

“Nothing.” he said and walked over to his side.

Joe pulled the covers back and she pulled her glasses off and set them on her book. Joe’s dog laid down on the floor beside him and he rubbed his feet all up and down the dog’s furry back before Joe slid under the covers. This was their nightly ritual and they both loved it.

    She turned off her bedside lamp and crawled in next to him. This fifty year old lady let out a badly stifled giggle when she put her cold left hand on Joe’s back. Joe let one rip and they both laughed until the dog jumped up on them.

“Get down, Lucy!” they yelled in unison.

Lucy reluctantly jumped down then flopped back into her spot with attitude. Joe turned over on his other side to face his wife. He planted a fast kiss on her nostril, missing her lips completely.

“I meant to do that. “ he said in a Pee Wee Herman voice.

“Sure you did.” she said in her own funny voice while pretending to wipe his slobber off.

She reached for his face in the dark and kissed him quick on the lips then turned over.

Joe moved in for a “Goodnight Spoon”. He tucked his knees in behind hers and slid an arm over her side just below her breasts and pulled her in a bit closer. They laid like this in the quiet stillness for a few minutes before she spoke.

“I’m worried about the kids.” she said out of nowhere.

Joe was pulled up out of that place that wasn’t quite sleep or awake. He breathed in a bit of her hair and coughed.

“Why?” he said, muffled through her soft sandy blonde hair.

She sighed and said “Because everything.”

“Oh, is that all?” he said sarcastically.

“Look, they’re all adults now." he said "You just can’t tell them who to vote for.”

“Har Har” she said. “But for real. How are they gonna make it. What if Dena’s car breaks down and we can’t help her pay for repairs. Or if Jeff loses this job too?”

“I don’t know, Love. I guess we’ll have to trust that the Lord is watching over them.” Joe said.

“I’m just afraid that...I’m afraid because neither of them seem to believe in God and it scares me.” she said.

“You know I don’t have all the answers.” he said “But I gotta believe God's love for us is like our’s for our own children, only stronger. Even when our kids seem to be embarrassed of us or so mad that they won’t talk to us, we still love and care about them. We still do our best to watch over them and be there when they need us. Anyway, that’s what I believe.” Joe said this last with a yawn.

“Did I ever tell you how much I love you?” she said.

“Oh, I think maybe once or twice.” he said while sliding his hand up and gently squeezing her right breast.

“HONK!” he said into her ear.

She elbowed him in the solar plexus and he coughed again. They both laughed in the dark for a bit and when they got to hot Joe turned over and they went to sleep.