Better Left Unsaid

A couple experience tense moments on the couch

She tried to focus on the hum of the TV. Characters danced back and forth across the screen, no cares in the world, their entire lives solved in thirty minutes and supported by a healthy dose of canned laughter. She just couldn’t stand it. Her husband sat still on the other side of the couch. The silence was pervasive. Even the sounds escaping from the television couldn’t seem to drive it away. The voices sounded small, lifeless, swallowed up by the oppressive tension. “Do you need money? Well we’ve got just the thing �"“ The screen flashed to black and then returned, replacing the commercial with an edition of Sportscenter. She glanced over at him. He had the remote in a chokehold, his knuckles flashing white as he tightened his grip and then eased it, as if nothing had happened. “The Dodgers played at New York today,” with Matt Kemp hitting three home runs in a 7-2 victory for the boys in blue. They had already seen this version three times. She knew every word. Cautiously, she inched to the other side of the couch, placing her head in her husband’s lap. His hands wandered absent-mindedly through her hair, but he still wouldn’t look at her, his gaze fixed on the TV, as if the box was about to tell him everything he’d ever want to know if he just kept watching. He didn’t even like sports. He probably didn’t know any of the players, any of the teams, hell, any of the rules. But they kept watching, waiting. Not that they knew what for. The screen flashed black again. She waited patiently for the screen to come back to life, but to no avail. “I’m going to bed.” His voice sounded strange in the apartment, so unlike the heavily produced and structured sounds of the television. He gently lifted her head from his lap and got up, tossing the remote next to her. She sat up, her eyes following him as he disappeared down the hall into the bedroom. Hesitantly, she got up and then dropped back onto the couch, reaching for the remote. Maybe just a few more minutes.    

Author's Note

A writing exercise that was supposed to show a couple watching TV after the wife lost her job. The catch was not to mention what was actually wrong. Any writing style comments, etc. are appreciated.