What Is

"Love," my husband said, not looking away from the T.V.

"What?"

"The answer to your question."

There had been a couple of questions. Like earlier, when I arrived home from work after being stuck in traffic for an hour and was greeted by angry meows.

"Why didn't you feed the cats?" I had asked.

He, sprawled out in front of the T.V., said nothing. His fingers tapped furiously over the controller in his lap. Tanks and armies surged across the screen, filling the living room with explosions and yells.

I made dinner, cleaned the kitchen, threw away empty beer cans. Tentatively asked for help. Nothing.

"What did I say?"

"What?"

I raised my voice to a scream and he looked over, blinking.

"You said something about the most important skill to build great relationships."

"That was yesterday!"

"Yeah, well," he said and disemboweled a soldier with a bayonet. "It's love."