SOFT FOOTING

“Are you okay?” Marvin Estridge asked his wife, Emily.

She yawned and, with eyes shut, responded,  “I guess so.”

“You been getting enough sleep?”

“I’m too tired to remember.”

Marvin nodded.  “You feel up to looking at the map?”

“Is it critical?”

“Not yet.  But this rain storm isn’t helping matters.”

“What’s the name of the place again?” Emily wondered.

“Trinity.”

“And why are we going to Trinity?”

“We haven’t been away since-  you know.  And that’s been over two years.”  Marvin paused for a moment.  “I just thought it might be good for us to have a little change of scenery.”

“I knew there had to be a reason.” Emily yawned again.

“You sure there’s nothing else bothering you?”

She was quiet for a few moments.  “I just feel funny leaving home. It’s the first time we’ve taken a trip without her.”

Marvin sighed.  “I know, but no one thing stops life unless we let it.”

“So that’s what this is all about?”

“Pretty much.”

“I’m wondering if that would be so bad,” Emily said with red eyes. “I mean letting this one thing, stop life.”

“You really think Callie would’ve wanted that?”

Emily turned away and said nothing.

Marvin sighed.  They both jumped as they skidded suddenly on the slick road.

“Damn.  I didn’t even see that.”

Emily stared out the window of the car.  She watched as the cascading drops of rain rang off the side of the automobile, sounding like little pins hitting a linoleum floor.  Her agoraphobic-like symptoms had been teasing her ever since she left home but she was not giving in to their whimsy. 

“Is the road nearby?” Marvin asked.

There was no answer.

“Honey!  Is the road to Trinity close?”

“Wait.  Let me look.”  She glanced at the well-used map and yawned again.