Going Under

Vita and Kärlek are sitting across from each other in dead silence at the kitchen table. They both have looks of seriousness, yet distraught on their faces as they look across at one another. There is a stack of papers sitting between them on the table. Both Vita and Kärlek have been periodically looking at the papers and then back at each other for a while. The stack of papers are a file for divorce.

Vita and Kärlek have been married for 15 years. They have three children together and come from a host of big families on both sides. The pair have traveled the world together. They have shared the greatest memories and even a fair share of hard times, but through it all they have stood by each other, loving one another unconditionally. When first tied the knot a decades and a half ago they swore to each other that they would grow old together, joking that they both had better be covered in grey hairs before one of them even thought about passing away before the other.

Over the course of this past year Vita and Kärlek’s marriage has taken a rather nasty turn. Though they have had their fair shares of disagreements in the past, they are now at a point where their disagreements have put a strain on their marriage that has yanked them in different directions. Their arguments are getting worse and the periods of which they get mad at each other are lasting longer. Vita and Kärlek have fought over even the most serious of issues, but in the past they were able to reconcile even when it took some time. Lately life has been a bit more complicated.

In the past year the couple has developed a new sense of goals for the future. These goals have created an unequal yoke between the two. As their children have gotten older Vita and Kärlek’s methods of raising and regarding the children and their choices has also shifted. Kärlek does things one way, Vita prefers to do them another way and this has become a more frequent cause of conflict between the pair. All of Vita and Kärlek’s disagreements over the past year have culminated into this place of divorce papers sitting between them.

Looking across at Vita, Kärlek thought about every moment shared between him and Vita in the past nearly 20 years all the way up to this very second. From the time they first met in college, to when he proposed after they graduated all the way to the moment they had their last child together. Kärlek had a slant smile on his face looking at Vita as he thought about all the crazy fights they had and all the reconciliation and crazy times of good that followed. He also thought long and hard about how much the modern day discord between Vita and himself was a far cry beyond the good old days that preceded them.

Looking across at Kärlek, Vita thought about every moment she shared with him for nearly 20 years. She thought about how Kärlek showed her what true love is when they first fell head over heels for each other and how he helped her learn how to love herself when she did not know how. She thought about how much she appreciated the family that Kärlek helped her to build and how she would not trade it for anything. Vita also thought a lot about where they were today and how much the dynamics of their marriage have shifted.

As Vita and Kärlek both stared into each other’s eyes they both thought a lot about the loving history of their marriage. They both also thought alot about how the state of their marriage had changed for the worst because of their differences. Looking deeply at one another, they both knew they still loved each other and that went without question, but they realized that no matter how much they loved each other, their relationship was still going under because everything between them had changed in a way that would continue to worsen their fractured relationship.

With a tear rolling down her cheek, Vita calmly grabbed the pen sitting in front of her and signed the divorce papers. After she set the pen down, Kärlek then grabbed it and used it to sign the divorce papers as well. After setting the pen down, Kärlek and Vita softly held each other’s hands from across the table. Though they were sad that their marriage had ended, they were thankful for all the good they had brought to each other’s lives and they knew they would always love each other very much.