He patted my back once and went back to his chair. I watched the steam rise and thought about how many nights we had stood in this same kitchen talking about nothing at all. The soup smelled stronger now and I wondered if I had left it on too long.

I’ll be honest with you, I almost turned around and told him everything right then. The words sat right there on my tongue. But I just kept moving the spoon in slow circles and the moment passed.

Richard asked if the soup was about ready and I said yes. He got up and pulled two bowls from the cabinet like he always does. The key in my pocket felt heavier than it had any right to be.

I got it wrong all these years thinking we didn’t have any big secrets between us. That was the part that stayed with me while I turned off the burner.