His brain hurt.
Right between the eyes. The dull tightness pulled deep within his skull to the point that he could think of little else.
Concentrate, he thought. What’s she saying now? Oh my, is she repeating the same thing again!
Sitting directly across from him at one of those little coffee shop tables was his girlfriend. The table did little to provide them space. Designed to hold, at best, two or three paper beverage cups, the flat, round top barely achieved its purpose as she leaned forward. Intent. Hopeful. Determined to make her point.
In the momentary distraction provided by taking a sip of the barista’s strongest brew, he tried to remember what led to this barrage of words and apparently high emotion. What was it she had said?
“I think we need to talk,” she had started. Clueless as to what future those words might hold, he had agreed. And she had been talking ever since.
Early in the moment, when the coffee had been too hot to even sip, he caught a glimpse of where all of this was headed. They had traveled this road before. They had talked about all of this on several occasions. Both had talked. Hadn’t we agreed to disagree?
What is wrong with this woman? Why can’t she just leave this alone? How can I end my misery? Should I just get up and walk away from the table?
It was at that moment that his ears retuned to her voice as she wound down and said, “This is important to me because I care for you.”
§ § §
When conversations are difficult, frustration is high, and patience is growing thin, focus on the things that bring you together, not those that push you apart.