Ken and Joan had been married for twenty-seven years. They had raised two children, established a comfortable home, and enjoyed many of the experiences that come with a long marriage. They loved each other and considered their marriage generally stable. They had experienced their share of disagreements, misunderstandings, and occasional arguments. Neither expected marriage to [...]
Diane and Bob had been married for seventeen years. They had two children, a comfortable home, and what appeared to be a relatively stable family life. Bob was a hard worker. He was responsible, provided well for his family, and took his responsibilities as a husband and father seriously. He loved his children and was [...]
Phil and Tara had been married for several years when a problem they had never anticipated began threatening their relationship. They loved each other. They enjoyed spending time together, shared similar interests, and had built a comfortable life. They were not a couple who argued constantly or disagreed about every decision. In most respects, their [...]
Jared and Chrissy had been married for seven years. Like many couples, they had entered marriage with hopes and expectations about the life they would build together. Among their greatest hopes was having children. They had not expected it to happen immediately. They wanted to enjoy the early years of marriage, establish themselves financially, and [...]
Brian and Penny had been married for twenty-two years when a seemingly ordinary household routine began creating an increasingly serious problem in their marriage. They loved each other. They had raised a family, built a comfortable home, and shared the responsibilities and experiences that come with a long marriage. Their relationship was not without its [...]
Dan noticed that Melanie had become unusually protective of her phone. She carried it from room to room. When a message arrived, she sometimes glanced at the screen and smiled before putting it away. On a few occasions, Dan had walked into the room and noticed her quickly closing an application. He had not thought [...]
Jerry was laughing with a woman at the country club when Ruth noticed him. They were standing near the entrance to the dining room. The woman had said something that made him laugh, and he leaned slightly toward her as he responded. Ruth watched from across the room. A few minutes later, Jerry touched the [...]
Annette and John had been married for eighteen years when they began to wonder whether they had learned how to live with conflict but never how to resolve it. They loved each other. They had built a home, raised their children, and shared the responsibilities of marriage. They enjoyed many of the same activities and [...]
Meredith waited until the children were in bed before telling Tony. They had been married for sixteen years. Their children were twelve and nine. They owned a comfortable home, had stable jobs, and rarely argued. Their family life was busy, but it was the kind of busy that Tony had come to regard as normal. [...]
Dan closed his laptop when Louise walked into the room. The movement was quick. Almost automatic. But Louise noticed. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Nothing. Just looking at something.” “Then why did you close it?” Dan looked at her. “Louise, it’s not a big deal.” She stood beside his chair. “Show me what you [...]
