Tomorrow would be a new day

It was dark in the living room, where she sat and waited. The room was full of older furniture, mostly well worn and comfortable. The pictures of family and friends on the wall and sitting atop the book cases that lined one wall, reminded her of everyone that she cared about in the world.

She sat in the dark, in his favorite lounger, waiting. She was waiting for him, she knew he was out with her and she had had enough.

She was laughed at in the grocery store by some of her ‘so called’ friends. They knew he was cheating, they saw them together at La Italia, the restaurant in town. She never wanted to be laughed at again. She was angry and she wanted revenge.

She looked around the room; the pictures all laughing at her and telling her she was a fool. She married young, had four kids and looked rough. She lit another cigarette. She had always been a smoker, but tonight she found it eased her nerves. She was going to do it tonight. She had threatened him before, but tonight was it.

After arriving home from the store, without the groceries in hand, she went directly upstairs. She slid open his closet door, reached up to the shelf and pulled down the gun safe. The combination was their wedding anniversary, ironic. She loaded the gun and brought it down stairs with her. She placed it in the recliner’s pocket on the side as she sat down. This was it. It was to be over tonight. She got up and fixed herself a drink, gin and tonic. She took a sip, it was crisp and strong. She liked it but then thought better of it. She wanted to be in the right frame of mind. She had run all of the scenarios through her head, all the possible repercussions. She didn’t care.

He came in the back door. He tried to be quiet, it was late and she was probably asleep. He thought it through and knew he had gotten away with it.

He rounded the kitchen table and through the living room door. He never saw her sitting in the chair, yet she saw him clearly in the dark. She aimed the pistol and pulled the trigger. Over and over until the empty chamber clicks were deafening, he slumped forward onto the banister. He was gasping for air as she turned on the lights. “Did you have fun tonight?” she asked as she passed him and went upstairs. She looked at him without sympathy. She turned off the light at the top of the stairs and went to bed. Tomorrow would be a new day.