My Body is a Cage and Other Stories

the next month I sporadically came home late. Told him I’d gotten into hiking, which was
plausible since our town was on the cusp of the Shenandoahforest. He knew he had his doubts. I
ate up the worry on his face.
My ‘hiking’ included picking up takeout and drivingover to her house. We learned a lot
about each other. She is a scorpio, I am a taurus.Though I don’t fully understand astrology she
seemed pleased with it. She has two brothers and asister, and I’m an only child. She likes
non-fiction and watches reality television almostexclusively, whereas I read nothing but fiction
and watch very little television. I found the scaron her hip the second time we made love, and
she found the birthmark on my shoulder blade.
She is so funny. She is so kind. The way she holdsthe animals, the way she speaks to
them, the way she watches the news and remains hopefulanyways. One day she showed me the
creek that ran along the back of the property. Thenshe started stripping off her tank top and
shorts and I didn’t know what to do so I stared atthe water. It rippled and soon she dipped her
head into my field of vision, naked with the waterup to her waist. “You coming in?” she asked. I
was.
One thursday night in June she and I went back toMick’s. It was fun, being out in public
and knowing we could get caught at any second. Andthat night, we were caught. He came in
with a few of his work friends. I, in my neglect ofour marriage, must have forgotten that he and
his friends went out for drinks every other thursday.Or maybe I knew all along. He stopped short
when he saw me sitting at the bar, and the color drainedfrom his face when he saw her beside
me. She went quiet and looked to me as if waitingfor a cue. He and I stared at each other for a
few moments before I turned around, put my hand onher thigh, and we continued our
conversation. I heard the bell above the door jingleas he left.