L.O.V.E. Therapy

Edited by Pat

Their last resource was an unusual therapist.

* * * * *

CHAPTER 1

Linda leaned over the counter and checked the clock again. She had made it another day in a job she hated. Her marriage wouldn't.

I love you.

When was the last time she'd heard those words out of her husband's mouth? She couldn't even remember.

Her husband, Dennis and she had been married for six years, but the last two she had been miserable.

"What happened to us? We used to love each other so hard. We used to be one," she thought as she drove back home.

Linda pulled her car into the garage and shut off the engine, keeping her hands on the steering wheel as she breathed in and out. Dennis's truck was parked at the curb outside their house, so Linda knew he was inside the house, probably nursing a beer in front of the evening news.

Tuesday was the night they made love. No, scratch that. It was their scheduled night to fuck like the world was ending. Sex was the only thing keeping them together. Their marriage might be cold, but the bedroom was not. Yes, sex between them was that powerful, but it wasn't enough anymore.

Well, there would be no sex today. Instead of that, Linda would tell her husband it was over.

She'd walk into the house and the fist around her heart would tighten. She'd kick off her heels, and figure out dinner. Her own dinner. Dennis would have already eaten alone. Separate meals. Just another part of their marriage that should have signaled the end long before now.

With her heart pounding in her ears, Linda left the car and paused with her hand on the kitchen doorknob.

Dennis had changed so much since he quit his job at the mines. It was as if an important part of him was left behind. The part that made her feel loved and cared for. The part that made her feel like the most important person in the whole world. This new Dennis was not the warm, caring, and supportive person he used to be.

Letting out a long sigh, Linda opened the door and stepped over the threshold into the house, the familiar sounds of the news reaching her ears. There was already an empty beer bottle sitting by the toaster.

"You're late. I'm waiting," he grunted.

Dennis sat shirtless on the couch, leaning forward with his hands clasped between his knees. Ironic that a man who showed so little awareness of her would keep such close tabs on her schedule.

She slipped her feet into her running sneakers, nylons, and all, her heart starting to slam loudly in her ears. "This is it. I'm doing it. I can't take the lack of love anymore when it used to be so abundant. What happened to us?"

Even though her stomach was growling for something to eat, Linda bypassed the refrigerator, stepping into the living room.

Dennis was a good provider. He worked his ass off all day with the local contractor, Percy Wittmore. He had never been late paying a bill or delayed the repair of something around the house.

Linda also knew Dennis was faithful. She didn't have a single doubt about that. He might be the perfect husband if only he'd give her the time of day.

He knew she was there and hadn't gotten up to greet her. Hadn't even said hello. Just sitting there like a king, waiting for his queen to climb on his lap and fuck him silly, so they could start the clock again. Another night of sex. Another week of silence.

A cycle that would never end. Unless she broke it. She was done waiting for the old Dennis to come back.

Instead of starting to make dinner she took a framed picture of a younger version of them and looked at it with envy.

"What are you doing?" Dennis asked her.

"We need to talk, Dennis."

He turned his head to look at her for the first time.

"I'm not happy. I haven't been happy in a long time. Your body is here but your head seems to be someplace else. We don't talk anymore."

"Why are you bringing this up again? I don't want to talk about it."

"You refuse to talk about our problems? What a surprise!"

Dennis just looked back at the TV.

"We haven't really communicated for two years! You avoid talking with me about our issues and when I ask you what's wrong with you, you change the subject. It's obvious that something is wrong between us, but what? Talk to me, Goddamit!"

Dennis just shrugged. "Things are not perfect, but we're good. I'm working, I bring money. I take care of the house. What the heck is wrong?"

"WE are NOT good," she moved her finger repeatedly between him and her. "We don't talk anymore. We don't share activities together. All you do is work and sit at home watching TV barely acknowledging my existence. I asked you to go to see a marriage counselor. I asked you to talk with a therapist..."

"I'm not crazy, Linda," Dennis took a deep breath.

"There you go! There is this gap between us and I have no idea how to reach you anymore. We keep drifting apart. The truth is we're more like roommates or fuck buddies these days."

Dennis kept looking at the TV. Linda wasn't even sure if he was still listening to her.

"Why do I bother?" Linda said raising her arms in desperation.

Her sense of self-preservation kicked in and she turned, avoiding him on her way through the living room, down the hallway to the back bedroom.

Fighting the tears, Linda started packing a suitcase. In it she placed two drawer's worth of clothes, her toiletries, her cell phone and charger, and her laptop. Everything went into the bag. She zipped it up with sickening finality. Tears falling down her cheeks.

"What the hell are you doing?" Her husband stood outlined in the bedroom doorway. "Are you leaving me?"

A strangled laugh found its way out of Linda's mouth.

"Are you really this surprised?"

"Yeah, I am!" he shouted. "Put the goddamn suitcase away."

"No."

That was the moment Dennis recognized she meant business. This wasn't a fight. It was THEfight. Even fights had been few and far between, hadn't they? There wasn't enough passion for one.

"I don't love you anymore," Linda said in a whisper.

Air rushed out of him, carried on an awful, wounded sound.

Linda did love Dennis. She just wanted to tell him how hurt she'd been when he had shut her out, and stopped communicating with her. How she had felt like a failure when she couldn't reach him even though they shared a bed, a house, a life.

"I'm going to Laura's. I'll stay at the inn till we have this settled."

He rounded the bed in her direction. "No."

"Don't try to stop me."

"You're staying. End of discussion."

"I'm leaving," she breathed. "Accept it. I am more than your weekly gratification."

With all the willpower she housed inside her, Linda pressed both hands against Dennis's shoulders and pushed him out of her way.

"I'll come to get the rest of my things when I find a place for myself."

Dennis looked at his wife, panic beginning to creep into his usually stoic expression. For a brief moment in time, they locked eyes and she saw him. The Dennis who'd sworn to love her until the day she died. The man who'd asked her to marry him.

And then he disappeared in the blink of an eye, a shutter slamming down into place, hiding his every emotion. She knew this man well. Too well.

"Go, then. No one's stopping you."

The cool fall air kissed Linda's damp cheeks when she walked into the garage.

She'd almost backed out to the end of the driveway when Dennis appeared in the garage, still shirtless.

What? He wanted to talk now?

"Linda. Don't go. Please."

Her heart seized as he shouted her name a second time, striding toward the car. No. No more. She couldn't take it anymore. Before she could change her mind, she stepped on the gas and drove away, Dennis's voice booming through the dust she left behind.

CHAPTER 2

Dennis caught his reflection in the door of his truck as he slammed it. His face was unshaven, eyes and cheeks sunken in.

His fucking life was over.

He closed his eyes and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the cool metal of his truck, breathing in and out through his nose, trying to quell incessant nausea.

He'd started drinking on Tuesday night after Linda left and now it was Friday. He'd remembered to send a text to Percy, the contractor he worked with, saying, "I'm sick."

That's all Dennis had had the presence of mind to type.

Since he left the mines, Dennis started working as an engineer for the local contractor.

Linda was... gone... She was the girl who had held his heart since middle school. It was still that way. Nothing had changed in that regard. Never would.

In his mind, he could see Linda packing her suitcase on their bed. He could still hear the words that had split him wide open.

I don't love you anymore.

The woman he was supposed to care for forever was gone, she didn't love him anymore.

Was she cheating on him? Was there another man?

No, Linda would never do that.

A knock on the door brought him back to reality.

Paul Olson's face was the last thing Dennis wanted to see right now. He was the foreman of his crew and a good friend.

"You still sick, buddy?" Paul patted Dennis on the shoulder. "What the hell did you catch? Food poisoning?"

"I don't have time for this, Paul," Dennis said, pressing a row of fingers to the center of his splitting forehead. "Don't act like you don't know Linda is staying at the inn."

"I... Oh. Shit, man," Paul's hand dropped away. "I heard something about it, but I thought it was just town gossip. I knew things between you two were not well but I never thought they were that bad. Do you need to talk?"

"All the town knew it was coming except me?"

"Nope." Dennis shook his head.

"You sure? You know I lived a similar situation with my first wife."

"Yes, I remember. She was cheating on you with a surgeon. Linda is not like that."

"What happened, Dennis?"

Dennis just shrugged. "Linda said she doesn't love me anymore. Said she wasn't happy with me."

"Damn! Do you want her back?"

"Of course I want her back!" Dennis snapped in a rusted voice, shocking himself by saying the words out loud, instead of letting them ricochet around inside his skull. "She's my wife. She's supposed to stay. We said vows."

Paul made wishy-washy sounds as if he disagreed.

"What?"

"Marriages have ups and downs," Paul said, obviously treading carefully. "But if a woman isn't happy for a long period of time..." He trailed off.

On top of the horror of losing Linda, Dennis was embarrassed. What kind of a man lands an incredible woman like Linda and doesn't do enough to hold on to her?

How had he been so fucking wrong?

Linda had been unhappy too long, and he had been blind to it.

CHAPTER 3

When Linda arrived at the inn, Laura took one look at her face and knew something was wrong. Then she noticed the suitcase and wordlessly led her to one of the empty rooms. No words were exchanged, just a long hug, and that was enough to let Linda know her friends had seen the implosion of her marriage coming a mile away.

Linda didn't know whether to be grateful or offended.

She went to work at the mall the next day just to fight the sound of Dennis's voice shouting her name, which continued to echo in her head.

Laura gave her friend space for a couple of days, but finally, she asked her.

"How are you doing?"

Linda thought of Dennis and how panicked he'd looked when she started to pack.

"I don't feel great. I probably won't be for a long time, but... leaving was the right thing to do. You know that man, he's a frickin' closed book. Who the hell knows what's going on in that head of his?" We don't speak to each other anymore. There is no affection..."

Laura shook her head slowly.

"We used to talk constantly. Where we would travel... The house we will buy... How many children we'd have..." She swallowed hard.

"When did it start?"

"Two years ago, right after he quit working at the mines. I noticed right away how quiet he'd become. Dennis was never the chatty type, but he was loving and affectionate. Now it's like living with a zombie who fucks me once a week."

"I'm so sorry." Laura slipped off her stool and went to the wine fridge beneath the counter, selected a bottle of white, uncorked it, poured two glasses, and handed one to Linda.

Linda took a long gulp of wine and said, "Thanks again for letting me crash here until I figure out my next move."

"Stay as long as you want," Laura's finger moved around the glass. "Mary, Paul's wife, called today while you were at work. She asked me about you. Apparently, Dennis has taken some days off. Word is getting around."

Linda let out a long sigh, "It was bound to happen sooner or later."

There was a knock on the inn's door. Laura stood up, opened it, and found Dennis looking at her.

"Uh, hey, Dennis. What brings you here?"

Dennis held on to his patience. Wasn't it obvious why he was there?

"I want to talk to my wife."

Laura hummed. "Okay... Come in. She is right here."

"It's fine, Laura," Linda said. "Why did you come here, Dennis?"

"Come back to me." Dennis took several steps in her direction, "Things haven't been great for you at home. I get that, all right? I'll make it better."

"Have they honestly been great for you?"

Dennis shrugged. The truth was he didn't notice anything was wrong till Linda moved out. If he'd sensed that she wanted more, he'd have worked harder. Fix the things that were making her unhappy, because that was his job.

"Make it better? How?"

"What do I have to do, Linda?"

She started at the vehemence in his voice. "I don't know if there's anything. Not now."

The hollow husk of his stomach filled with acid. "Think about it," he said firmly. "While you're figuring out whether to give me a second chance, Linda, I need to know you're not enjoying the interest of other men."

"Of course not! What kind of woman do you think I am?"

Dennis nodded. He wet his upper lip and watched her eyelids flutter. "It won't be long before this whole damn town knows you're not sleeping in my bed, and trust me, a lot of men would like to take my place."

"Fine," she whispered, her attention flicking to his mouth. "Same goes for you. Until we figure out if this marriage is really..."

"Don't say it. Don't say 'over,'" he growled, lifting a hand to cup her face. When she flinched, he curled the fingers into his palm and let the hand drop away. "I've never had another woman and I'll never want another woman."

Linda's chest shuddered up and down. "You should go, Dennis."

Dennis hummed deep in his throat, "Think hard about letting me try again. I'll do better. I promise."

"I will."

Dennis had to physically restrain himself from carrying his wife to the truck. Instead, he memorized her features one final time and left, his restlessness increasing with every step he took away from Linda.

Linda the glass of wine half-drunk, found her way upstairs and tried to get some sleep.

CHAPTER 4

Linda had been in a trance since Dennis left.

Come back to me.

Linda could still hear the raw quality of Dennis's voice as he said those words. She could still see the plea in his eyes. She couldn't remember the last time he'd looked at her like that. Like the fate of his universe hung on what she said next.

She had married a stubborn man, and she'd never imagined him showing up at the inn unannounced to ask for another chance. It just wasn't like him. Was it?

Once upon a time, Linda would have expected Dennis to fight for their relationship. When they were younger, he'd claimed the role of her best friend, her protector, her lover...

The fact that their sex life was mind-blowing had probably kept their relationship intact far past the point it had stopped being emotionally fulfilling. And that wasn't okay with her anymore.

Laura's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Soooo, Dennis wants another chance."

"I said no. I think." She winced.

"Nope. You said you'll think about it. His sexy eyes wiped your memory clean?" Laura smiled at her friend.

Linda let out a long sigh, "It was supposed to be over. And now..."

"And now?" Laura asked with a hint of hope.

"Dennis is asking for another chance. I have to think hard about what he needs to do to earn it."

Laura bit her lower lip. "So are you going to give him another chance?"

A line formed between Linda's brows as she went through the past two years. Trying to lure Dennis into a conversation and failing. Attempting to get her husband to open up to her about what was troubling him.The more time passed, the easier it had been to let sleeping dogs lie. Focus on the daily grind and let her personal aspirations slip further and further until they were unreachable. Now the situation had reversed and the success of her marriage was the thing that felt unreachable.

Did she want to try again? Risk her heart again?

"I can't go back to what we had," Linda said, guilt settling on her shoulders.

Laura gave Linda a sad look. "I understand."

"That being said..."

Laura perked up. "Yes?"

"I'm kind of surprised, but... I don't think Dennis is going to give up that easily."

For long moments, the only sound in the room was Linda's ragged breathing.

"Hmmm, I have an idea," Laura let out.

"What is it?" Linda narrowed her gaze at Laura.

"Remember Georgina? The gym teacher?"

"I think I do. Was she the one whose boyfriend proposed at Steve and Diana's wedding?"

"The very same. Her fiancé's best friend is a couple's therapist. I met him at some town event, can't remember exactly when. He looked a bit weird to me, but Daniel said he was great. I have Georgina's number, I could give her a call if you want."

Linda waited for Laura to say she was joking. She didn't. "Are you serious? Dennis Harris talking to a stranger about his feelings? He gets uncomfortable when people cry on television!"

"Okay." Laura shrugged. "Say he says no. At least you tried. You gave him an option."

Unbelievably, the idea went from cockamamie to brilliant in the space of a breath.

"But what if he says yes?" Laura asked Linda.

"There is a zero percent chance Dennis Harris goes to counseling." Linda tried to swallow but her mouth was dry. "I'll think about it."

Laura got the therapist's number from Georgina, who informed her that he also had a webpage. Laura passed all the information to Linda.

Later that night, Linda sat in her room and checked the webpage.

A title in big letters read, "Do you want to save your marriage?"

Linda didn't have an answer for that question right now. She wanted the old Dennis back.

Below the title bar, another line read, "L.O.V.E. Therapy"

Are you tired of arguing with your spouse over the same old issues?
Did your love grow cold? Are you in a loveless marriage?

This last sentence sounded more like them.

L.O.V.E. Therapy can help you and your partner to rebuild a relationship that will be fulfilling, healthy and strong even after it was damaged in some way or another.

A new and revolutionary approach to marriage counseling.

What does L.O.V.E. stands for?

Laugther -- Open-hearted -- Veracious -- Emotions.

Laughter:Learning to laugh a little more just may save your life, not to mention your marriage. To paraphrase Henry Ward Beecher, "A marriage without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs, jolted by every pebble in the road."

Open-hearted: We open up our hearts when we have an emotional connection, when we feel loved and safe. But when we sense disinterest or rejection or when our interactions trigger anger and hurt, our heart closes off. Sometimes our efforts to connect with those we love lead us unexpectedly to places where old wounds are reopened. We can have an open-hearted relationship working through the sometimes painful feelings that cause our hearts to close.