“Smells good in here,” Seth remarked as he stepped into the house, his gaze fixed on the papers in his hand.
“Thank you,” Brenda replied, hoping to catch his attention. “Thought we could have a nice supper.”
“Sounds great.” Seth barely glanced up, missing the sight of Brenda dressed up for him.
They ate mostly in silence. Brenda tried to engage Seth in conversation, but his replies were brief, distracted. As soon as the last bite was swallowed, Seth pushed back his chair.
“Got to fix a stall in the barn,” he mumbled, standing up. “Thanks for supper, Brenda.”
“Sure,” she replied, her voice tinged with disappointment. She watched through the window as Seth walked away from the house.
The new dress lost its luster as the evening wore on, and Brenda cleared the plates, the heaviness in her heart a stark contrast to the optimism that had filled the room only hours before.
*****
BRENDA SAT ALONE INthe dimly lit parlor, the last embers of the fire casting a weak glow across her tear-streaked face. She had tried, truly tried, to get Seth to notice her, to be more than just a convenient fixture in his life.
She let out a soft sob, one hand clutching the fabric of her dress—a dress that had promised so much but delivered so little. Then, with a sniff and a determined set to her jaw, Brenda stood up. “Enough is enough,” she whispered to herself. Her spirit, usually so bright and unyielding, refused to wilt under neglect.
With quiet resolve, she climbed the staircase. She bypassed the master bedroom—Seth’s room—and instead opened the door to a smaller, unused room. It was plain, with a modest bed and a small window that looked out over the prairie. It would do.
She didn’t bother with a nightgown. Instead, she lay atop the covers, still wearing her new dress.
Meanwhile, Seth worked on the stubborn stall door, the sound of hammer meeting nail a steady rhythm in the night. His mind raced with numbers, plans for expansion, cattle prices—but not once did it brush upon the thought of Brenda waiting at home.
It was only when he was so tired he could barely see straight that he stowed away his tools and made his way back to the house, a tired yawn escaping him as he stepped through the back door.
“Supper sure did hit the spot,” he called out, half-expecting Brenda to emerge from the kitchen with a tart reply ready on her lips. Silence greeted him. He frowned, the annoyance creeping in as he navigated the familiar rooms. “Brenda?”
No answer.
He checked the parlor, the lingering scent of their meal still hanging in the air. Not there. The master bedroom, too, was vacant, its bed untouched. He scratched his head, irritation mounting. Where could she be?
“Probably fussing over some stray cat or other,” he grumbled, too weary to muster the energy for a proper search. A vague sense of unease tugged at him, but exhaustion won out. With a shrug, he surrendered to sleep.
*****
BRENDA WAS UP BEFOREthe sun as usual the following morning. She made breakfast with her usual care, when all she really wanted to do was fling the eggs she was making at her husband’s head.
Seth sat down at the breakfast table as she put their plates down, and he immediately tucked into his food. “You were missing last night,” he said, not looking up.
“I was missing because I’m sick of being an afterthought. Sick of you treating me like another possession. I am a person with feelings, Seth,” Brenda’s voice was filled with anger. “I am not just someone you can put on a shelf and dust off when it’s convenient for you. I’m your wife, and I deserve more than the scraps of your attention.”
Seth finally looked up, his expression a mixture of surprise and realization. “I have work!”
Brenda held his gaze steadily, her green eyes flashing with the fire of her emotions. “I understand you have work, Seth. But I am not asking to be your first priority every moment of the day. I’m asking for respect, a kind word, a moment of genuine connection that doesn’t revolve around fixing fences or mending stalls.”
Seth’s brow furrowed as he processed her words. For the first time, he saw the hurt and loneliness in Brenda’s eyes.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel that way,” Seth said, his voice softer than she had heard in a long time. “I’ve been so caught up in trying to keep everything running smoothly here at the ranch that I forgot to take care of what truly matters.”
Brenda felt a flicker of hope ignite within her as she listened to Seth’s earnest words. Perhaps there was a chance for them after all.
“It’s not just about the ranch, Seth,” Brenda said, her voice gentler now. “It’s about us, about our marriage. I want us to be a team, partners in this life we’ve built together.”
Seth nodded. “You’re right, Brenda. I’m going to do better. I promise.”
Brenda’s heart swelled with both relief and affection as she reached out to clasp Seth’s hand across the table. “Thank you.” It felt good for him to even acknowledge how she felt. She’d reserve the egg throwing for later, but she certainly wasn’t above it.
