The Watcher

She watches as the man comes down the stairs to greet his wife. The wife opens the door and he runs down the last couple of steps and scoops her up in his arms before she can even close the door. They both laugh as he swings her around. Then he puts her down, murmurs something in his wife’s ear the watcher can’t hear, and kisses her. After a minute, he closes the door, picks up her bags and they walk towards the other room. Once they're out of sight the watcher moves on.

The next house is a family. It's almost dinner time so she watches as the mother gathers up the kids and sits them in their appropriate seats. There's a high chair and two booster seats for the kids. She watches as the mom kisses the tops of their heads before she and the dad sit down. The mom and dad bow their heads to pray while the kids clamor for food. Finally the mom and dad laugh a little and give in. They dish out the spaghetti and everyone chats happily about their day while food is flung everywhere. After dinner, the dad clears the table while the mom takes the kids for a bath to wash off the spaghetti sauce that seems to have gotten all over their bodies and clothes. The watcher moves around the house and watches as the mom splashes with the kids and blows bubbles at them. After the bath she watches as the mom dresses the kids in pajamas and moves back into the hall. The watcher moves on.

At the next house, she sees an older couple enjoying a cup of coffee while they watch the news. The man reaches out and takes hold of the veined, wrinkled hand of his love and brings it to his lips. He gave it a light kiss and looked at her. She smiles back and says something the watcher can’t hear. It makes the man laugh and then they both watch TV in the comfortable silence of those who have known and loved each other for years. The watcher moves on.

The next house is her own. She looks in the empty windows and sees nothing warm to greet her. As she unlocks the front door there's no one to rush down the stairs and welcome her home. There's no one to cook a spaghetti dinner for and there's no one to settle in with and just enjoy a cup of coffee and companionship. There's no one but her. The watcher went to bed lonely.

What the watcher didn’t see was that the man greeted his wife at the door so enthusiastically so his wife wouldn’t suspect that he was in love with someone else. The man went to bed with guilt on his heart, his wife went to bed oblivious that her world was about to be shattered.

What the watcher didn’t know was that every morning the man watched her, jealous of her potential to find real love.

What the watcher didn’t see was that the dad yelled at the mom for not keeping the kids quiet enough during dinner. She went to bed with a black eye.

What the watcher didn't know was that every afternoon the mom watched her, jealous of her freedom from pain and secrets.

What the watcher didn’t see was the old woman make an excuse to leave the couch and go into the library. There she sat looking at her college acceptance letter from 52 years ago, the one she turned down to have a husband and family. Remembering the opportunity she had. Remembering the 52 years that she had been trapped with a husband that she hardly knew at the time she married him, and had never loved. She went to bed with tears of regret in her eyes.

What the watcher didn't know was that every evening the old woman watched her, jealous of her potential and the time she had left.