This, That, and the Other

Irene walked up to her husband of fifteen years. “I need something different,” she said. “I don’t know what it is, but I need something new.”

“Like new shoes? A new dress?” Alan asked.

“Oh God, this is so tough,” Irene said. “No, not shoes or a dress, Alan. It’s so much more than that.”

“A car, then? I’ll get you one of those Teslas. It’s electric and you’ll never have buy gas again. Wouldn’t that be splendid?

“I don’t want a Tesla. Alan, only God almighty in heaven knows how unhappy I am.”

“How am I hearing this for the first time tonight, Irene?” Alan asked. “I thought our life together was nothing short of blissful.”

“That’s because you are oblivious, Alan,” Irene said. “You are so wrapped up in your work and your sports that you can’t see what is going on right under your nose. The state of our marriage has been precarious for a few years.”

“Well, Irene,” Alan said, I’m not so oblivious that I don’t have a great lawyer who will enable you to experience something new and different, all right. I believe they call it homelessness and poverty based upon the prenup that you signed before we got married.”

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Written for the JSW Writing Prompt from Athling2001 at A Writer’s Life. Also for these daily prompts: The Daily Spur (tough), Ragtag Daily Prompt (splendid), Word of the Day Challenge (mighty), My Vivid Blog (heaven), Fandango’s One Word Challenge (blissful), and Your Daily Word Prompt (precarious).