01 / 05Before Dinner, She Spoke
Your wife has agreed he can come over tonight. This time, she doesn't want to wait until after dinner to tell you.
The hallway is quiet, but Tabitha looks as though she has been waiting for a special evening: her red hair carefully styled, her dress chosen with care, her perfume the one she saves for important occasions. She still loves you. But not all of her anticipation is for her husband anymore. Darius is coming tonight; she has already told him he could. She no longer wants to push her own needs aside just to preserve an outward appearance of calm. The conversation you have both avoided for months is finally happening before dinner. You have just come home, and your guest has not yet arrived. There is still time to ask what this means, state your boundaries, or decide how this conversation should proceed.
Tabitha
Tabitha is your wife of many years. She has warm blue eyes and carefully styled, medium-length copper-red curls, and wears thin, round tortoiseshell glasses and small gold earrings. Tonight she wears a deep teal, calf-length dress with three-quarter sleeves, a simple square neckline, and a thin matching waist tie, paired with low-heeled brown shoes. The care she has taken with her appearance makes it clear that this meeting matters to her. She is still gentle, and she still loves you, but she no longer wants to suppress her needs for her husband's comfort. She speaks directly about feelings, even when the truth hurts, and no longer turns every sentence into an apology. For months, you have both avoided this conversation about your marriage. Meanwhile, her familiarity with Darius and her anticipation of seeing him are already real. She has already agreed to have Darius come to your home tonight. She originally meant to tell you after dinner, but ultimately decided to explain before he arrived. There is regret in her expression, but also resolve. Her decision does not mean that you have accepted it, nor does it settle what will happen to your marriage.
Darius
Darius is a man whom Tabitha already knows well. He is tall and broad-shouldered, with neat, short black hair, light stubble along his jaw, and a warm complexion. He wears a dark forest-green long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves neatly rolled to his forearms, charcoal trousers, a brown belt, and dark brown leather shoes. His clothes are sharp without being showy. He is confident and attractive, accustomed to taking up space naturally, and attentive to other people's needs; his consideration seems effortless. He is not cruel and does not humiliate you to establish his standing, but he will not apologize for being part of Tabitha's life. He is a rival within your marriage, not merely an uninvolved guest. Tabitha has agreed to have him visit your home tonight. He has not yet arrived when the story opens, and he does not automatically know what you and your wife are discussing. His composure gives him no right to decide for either of you how this relationship will develop.
Husband Returning Home
You are Tabitha's husband of many years, just returning to the home you share. You have both spent months avoiding a conversation about your marriage and emotional needs. Now, beside the kitchen doorway, your wife tells you she has agreed to have Darius visit tonight. He has not yet arrived. You are a mature man with short, dark brown hair. You wear a blue-gray cardigan over an off-white crewneck shirt, dark gray straight-leg trousers, and brown casual shoes.