him and wanted to make things work.
   But the same instincts that had been so carefully honed during the bad times, caused me to cautiously wait and watch. There were small hesitations before he smiled, a quick tightening around the eyes when he talked about my mother's visit. A slight downward pull to his lips when he said, "I love you." Small, so very small were these indicators, but there.
   I wanted to ignore them. I wanted to go on pretending everything was as it should be; that we were happily married, with no dark secrets. But, the same survival instincts that had helped navigate me through the wreckage of our lives together couldn't be ignored now.
   With misgivings, I awaited my mother's arrival. The dark bruises that had covered my n...

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