I walked upstairs after he went to the den to watch the news. I packed my own bag. I didn’t take much. Just the essentials. I left the house keys on the kitchen island right next to the grocery list with the nine days written on it. I left a note, too. It wasn’t long.

I drove to the kennel on Saturday morning. I told them I was there for Buddy. The girl at the desk looked confused. She said, “But your husband said he was staying for nine days.” I looked her in the eye and said, “My husband won’t be coming to get him.” I loaded Buddy into the car and drove north.

I am sitting in a motel room now. It’s quiet here, too. I can hear the highway in the distance. I don’t know what Gordon will find when he comes back from his trip. I don’t know if he’ll even realize I’m gone for a while. He’s going to have a lot of explaining to do when he gets back to an empty house and an empty bank account.

I wonder if he’ll miss me. Or if he’ll just miss the shirts I took to the cleaners. I guess it doesn’t really matter anymore. The land is still mine. The dog is here with me. And for the first time in forty years, I don’t have to keep track of his secrets.

The phone is on the nightstand. It hasn’t rung yet. I keep staring at the screen, waiting for it to light up. I don’t know if I’m hoping for an apology or if I’m just hoping for the silence to stay exactly as it is. Maybe I’ll turn it off soon. Maybe I’ll just sleep until the sun comes up.