Leah gave a small, tired smile. “You realized. You just didn’t want to be the one to interrupt him.”
Denise flinched because it was true and they both knew it.
They stood in silence for a while. Then Denise sat down on the couch and looked at her hands, the way people do when they are preparing to say something that has been a long time forming.
“Raymond’s been lying,” she said. “About his role. About what he understood when he took it. About money too, I think.” Her voice cracked slightly. “I kept telling myself that marriage takes adjustment, that he was proud and loud and old-fashioned, that if I kept the peace long enough things would settle into something good.” She paused. “I was asking you to be small because I needed the night to go smoothly. But I see now I was asking the wrong person.”
It was as close to an apology as Denise was capable of in that moment. Leah recognized it for what it was and let it be imperfect.