Something's been eating away at me today. The Epes driver I talked to this morning was talking about his wife, and how it took a special woman to “hold down the fort” while he was on the road, and how his wife kept the house clean and generally took care of things at home. I immediately thought of Mara sitting in front of her computer playing Everquest. I thought about our bedroom, which looks like a college dorm room.

Mara lives the life of a teenager, and doesn't care how much of a mess the house gets in. In fact, she seems to expect Mama, who is 72, to do all that. I just keep thinking that I don't have a wife, I have a child. Her responsibilities begin and end with contributing a paycheck. Anything else that is asked of her is met with bitter resentment.

I should stop. I just wrote three different things about Mara that I erased. I suppose in the end it seems like all Mara wants is to be left alone. Lately I've been wondering how much it will take for me to give her that wish.