“Don’t go thinking this changes anything”, she said through a mouth full of fries, “I’m still mad at you.”
I just sighed and passed her beer to her. Despite what she said, if she was sitting in the same room as me the worst of it was over. No matter what argument we got into, taking to The Baron’s Bar was the most reliable way to get back in her good books. Considering the food was fantastic and the drink selection extensive, it ended up a win-win for me. I messed up often enough for the wait staff to know us by sight.
“Whatever you say, babe.” I reply between mouthfuls of one of the best burgers on the West Coast. This last argument had been particularly bad, so I was thankful it had blown over so soon. Usually I was in for a week of yelling,
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It’s easy to look back and say it was stupid, but hindsight is 20/20 while foresight is blind.” I try to convey exactly how sorry I am with my tone, as it’s still too early to just give in and apologize. She wants me to battle her, to feel that she’s won even though I’m not fighting back. If I apologize too soon, she feels like I’m just humoring her. That, in turn, sends me back to the yelling phase of the …show more content…
I’ve sat through so many of these that I’ve learned the proper cues for nodding my head and saying she’s right even when I’m not paying complete attention to what she’s saying. As she started winding down, she said, “Doll, you know I love you, right? But you’ve got to start thinking before you jump into things.”
I nodded my agreement mournfully, attempting to look both regretful and sincere. This was the most volatile part of our little ritual, and I considered it the equivalent between cutting the right or wrong wire when defusing a bomb. She finally said, “So what do you have to say to me?”
When she asks that, there’s only one right answer, “I’m love you, and I’m sorry, babe.” The smile she gives me lets me know I’m forgiven for my latest infraction, and my sense of relief is palpable. She nods in a self-satisfied manner and continues to eat her steak.
We’ve had this same discussion before, sitting in the same corner booth, eating the same food. I’m impulsive, always trying something new to attempt to get ahead in the world. She’s more conservative in her approach to life. I guess that it’s the differences between our personalities that makes us work, even when those personalities clash. No matter how much we fight, reconciliation is only a dinner