Picture is mine
The silence in the kitchen was heavy but something hung in the air. Something heavy they've been trying to avoid. They sat there in the kitchen exchanging glances at each other with deep questions in their eyes. Who was going to confront that elephant in the room?
"So babe", Anna spoke, she was courageous enough "When are we still going on our vacation?" She asked, tapping the table with her fingers.
"I wish we could, babe, but we can't afford it. But I promise I'm working on it," David mumbled, avoiding her stare.
"As usual, I'm working on it" Anna rolled her eyes as she mimicked David. "How about our savings?"
David scoffed "Savings? When we have your orders arriving every few weeks". The doorbell rang "I guess that's another package", he said.
Anna stood up, face tightened; she warned, "Don't you blame me like I'm the only one here with a problem" Then she walked to the door.
A few minutes later, she reappeared with a box of shoes.
"Just as I thought" David muttered, then he sipped on his hot cup of coffee
Anna gave him a killer stare.
Hands raised "Don't kill me. All I'm saying is, maybe if we cut off on the spending. Then maybe we could afford it" David added.
Already agitated, Anna slammed her hands on the table. "What exactly are you trying to do here? Trying to make it look like I'm the only one with the problem? What about you, huh? What about your "investments"?" She made a quote with her fingers in the air.
He dropped his cup hard on the table. "At least my "investments" are with intentions to make money and not to spend it", he replied, stressing the word investment with finger quotes in the air.
"You're gambling David. How's that an investment? And it's not like I've seen you make any profit".
He relaxed on his chair "You just have to give it time"
Anna gave a sarcastic laugh while unboxing her shoes. "Give it time. That's what I hear all the time"
There was silence only for the ceiling fan squeaking.
"All I'm saying, babe, is we need to cut back if we're going to make this trip." David broke the silence leaning forward to rest his elbow on the table.
Anna paused and looked at David. "Cut back on what exactly, the bills or groceries?" She replied, trying as much as she could not to mention her shoes. She knew that was exactly what David was trying to do.
"Not just that. The shoes, too," he said in a calm tone, picking up his cup and again avoiding her gaze.
Anna's eyes flared. "And what about your gambling?"
"That's different babe. It could make us the money needed for the trip"
"How is that different? It's ruining us too, just like my shoes" She rolled her eyes.
"Oh, finally you're admitting that the shoes are wasteful expenses?" Surprise in his eyes.
"Yes, I admit! Same way I want you to admit that your gambling every night isn't helping us at all" Anna pressed.
"I've stopped gambling", David lied, standing up to drop his cup of coffee in the sink.
Anna gave him a painful look. "Tell that to the bet slips I saw in your pocket yesterday night" She wondered why he didn't just want to admit that he had to stop gambling too.
Realizing he has been caught. He turned in the faucet and washed his cup. Dried it with a towel and turned to face Anna. He leaned on the sink.
Anna stood up and walked over to him. She looked him in the eye and reached for his hands. "Babe, imagine how much you've lost to gambling. All I'm saying is.."
"You're right." David cut her short. "It's just that with every new game, I just think I will win it back"
"But you don't"
"But I don't". He nodded.
"So?" Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We address the elephant in the room. You stop buying boxes of new shoes every few weeks, and I stop gambling," David replied with a smile.
"That'll do" Anna agreed.