"Do you still love her?"
She had set down her book between us on the couch, took a few sips from her wine and was staring at the wallpaper across the room.
"What made you ask that?" I said, looking up from my laptop. "Something in your novel?"
"No. Just wondering." She still didn't look my way.
"We've discussed this in the past. A few times at least."
"You never gave me an honest answer." This time she did look over, no hint of kidding on her face.
"Like I've said before. Yes, I did love her and still do. In my opinion, if you truly love someone, you always will."
"Have you been calling her? Have you been seeing her?" Her voice was a bit shaky now.
"Of course not. What makes you ask such a thing?"
"You've changed lately."
"What do you mean....changed?"
"I don't know. Withdrawn. Self-absorbed. Like you're hiding something."
"I'm not sure what you're talking about. Work has been stressful lately. Maybe that's what you've noticed."
She took another sip of wine and I could tell that my explanation was not sufficient.
"Look, you get these suspicions because you knew her. I don't think about you and what's his name..."
"Kevin."
"Right. I don't think about you and Kevin because I never knew him. No image comes to mind."
"Well, that hardly matters. I was never in love with him."
"Okay. Well, I have no control over that issue. I wasn't there. I didn't drag you away from Kevin."
"Is that what you did? Dragged me away? Like some sort of caveman?"
"Of course not. An inappropriate expression. You know how our relationship developed."
That led to a period of silence while I, and I assume she, reminisced about our early days together.
"How come it's always the man who ends up balancing two relationships?" she said.
"Sometimes, not always."
"Well, women rarely get themselves in such predicaments." With that statement, she folded her arms across her chest.
"I suppose human males are not naturally monogamous." I wanted to take back those words as soon as they left my lips.
"There you go again. Covering for bad male behavior."
"You're right. That was a silly thing to say."
Of course, I knew it was actually true.
Suddenly, her head was on my shoulder and I gave her a hug.
"Do you want to go down to Carlo's and share a pizza?"
"Sure," she said, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
"Love you," I said. "Always will."
