* * *
"Kenny? Kathy?" Maddy called out as she quietly closed the screendoor
behind her. After knocking a few times with no answer, she finally
just turned the knob in the hope that he'd left it unlocked; it was freezing
outside and all she wanted was the shelter of a warm living room. She'd
just arrived in Somers Point, where the bone-chilling winds were
whipping around with much greater fury than they'd displayed two hours
ago in Media.
Maddy stepped into the familiar surroundings, seating herself on the
couch and rubbing her arms vigorously. A minute later, Ken was standing
in front of her.
"Hi sweetheart, sorry about that!" He pulled her into a bear hug.
"Hey, it's ok; it's just so cold outside I can't stand it!"
"I know; me either. Except that I like warming you up!" He laughed
before drawing her into a temperature-raising kiss.
"Hmm, now that was worth every second of being out in the cold!"
she praised him.
"Hey, you feel like taking a drive? These last few rounds of storms
have really eroded the beaches around here; you have to see it to believe
it. It's kind of depressing, actually. But we can also stop off and say "hi"
to my cousin if you want."
"Sure, you know how much I love riding around in the car with you,"
she replied, planting a kiss on his lips. "And it would be nice to meet
some of your family. God knows, you've spent enough time with mine!"
Ken and Maddy passed another nice afternoon together, in spite of
noticeable boardwalk damage and the general malaise of an overcast
winter day at the Jersey Shore. She enjoyed hanging out at the home of
Ken's cousin and his wife, where she met their newborn son and engaged
in pleasant conversation. But there was something different about him
this time, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Yes, she was
aware of his nagging restlessness and his overall discontentment-two
emotions she herself was dealing with, yet there was definitely a deeper
phenomenon taking place. And it didn't feel particularly good.
* * *
"Thank you!" Ken said to the cashier at SuperFresh, where he'd just
purchased ingredients to make fajitas. They planned to head back to his
place so he could pack an overnight bag, and then spend the night with
Maddy at the Ocean City house, where he would also cook their dinner.
Although it was fun preparing the sizzling steak, chicken and
accompanying veggies, Maddy's heart was heavy. Far from being the funloving,
attentive boyfriend, Ken now appeared to be simply going through
the motions in order to appease her. Still, she said nothing as they sat at
the glass-top table, enjoying his perfectly seasoned creations, while
outside, the wind gusted furiously.