The Affair
A Story Every Day in 2024 August 16th 229/366
"Are you having an affair?"
The question was not unexpected. George had been simmering for days. She delivered a resolute "No."
His reply however was unexpected as was the bitterness with which it was given.
"I don't believe you."
*
Anita had had another uncomfortable night. Red meat = night sweats. If she ate late, it disturbed her sleep, the sheets in the morning twisted and damp.
She got up, burping, acid stinging her throat. George was happily snoring away, mouth open. A nostril hair was catching the early morning sunlight, moving in the living breeze of her husband's breathing. If ears could breathe, she'd see the same motion there.
What was it with getting older that caused hair to sprout in more places than others? she thought. Did it have a migration pattern attuned to age?
She went into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Bags; limp hair. She turned to the side and lifted her nightie. Flaccid flesh stared back at her. It hung. The taste in her mouth was no longer from bile but from her own disgust with herself.
She decided to do something about it.
*
Anita wore the dress. She was only going to town but she didn't care. She would wear it. She'd worked hard to feel this good and was proud of that. Her hair shone and applying a small amount of makeup, she smiled at the bright-eyed individual she had once more become.
*
"I don't believe you."
Anita looked at George. He was...faded. And angry.
She'd never thought of having an affair, although she was flirted with a lot more.
"Why would you think I was having an affair?"
"Well, isn't it obvious? I mean, look at you!"
Anita raised an eyebrow.
George gesticulated at her.
"All this!"
He looked like a whiny toddler.
"This isn't for me!"
Anita bristled at this, at the assumption that the only reason she could be motivated was to please someone else.
"No, you're absolutely right, George. I'm not doing this for you."
The truth will out when challenged.
"I'm doing it for ME."
And added, looking at him pointedly, "And you might want to think about doing the same!"
***
365 words
Another of my glimpses into married life. I quite like creating these windows into relationships.
Thanks for stopping by! If you do read this, please leave a comment as I love to interact with my readers.
229/366
About the Creator
Keep reading
More stories from Rachel Deeming and writers in Fiction and other communities.
Luxury Meets Innovation on the Green Field
The morning sun spread gently across the wide green field, turning every blade of grass into a small mirror of light. The field lay just outside the city, a place where nature still breathed freely and the noise of traffic felt far away. On this quiet land stood two remarkable cars: a sleek Lamborghini, glowing in deep metallic orange, and a modern Tesla, smooth and silver, reflecting the sky above it.
By Bilal Mohammadi2 days ago in Fiction
Comments (11)
This was a great peek into married life!! I love how realistic/ relatable this was!! Great work Rachel!!
You sure pack a punch, even in these microfiction tales! Loved: “ "No, you're absolutely right, George. I'm not doing this for you." The truth will out when challenged.”✅💖
Good for her!
Oof. This is way too realistic - but brilliantly done! Not so worried about the hair… just the color of it!
Superbly excellent. Aging and taking the bull by the horns all in one! Well done.
A true slice of aging life. Great job!
This is deftly done, and the odd things aging bodies do are morbidly fascinating. Ever since I crossed the threshold of fifty, my eyebrows have gone mad.
The come back at the end of this story rocks! Love your real life relational pieces, Rachel! Solid on point!
I know, the hair thing right. I always had them...it was much cuter back then. The cheek of men, always thinking its all for them. We gotta show them. Right. Love this positive gurl.
Over the past few months, I've been putting in more effort into my appearance, for me. I've neglected it since my mental health hit rock bottom in 2021 and it feels so good to see myself gradually looking the way I did before. I was able to relate so much with Anita!
Hair outlives us, seeming to grow after we die because it remains where the rest of us shrivels. Well-wrought!