Thick, pink pads of fingers scratch at her back.
Affectionate touches? She doesn't like it like that.
A grimace, then smile that she thinks looks real,
It doesn't crinkle her eyes, he knows how she feels.

Kicking the cat off, to the shower she moves
she doesn't shave her legs anymore for you
or buy the best brand of food for their cat
because it's their cat, she doesn't like that

Soft, annoyed sighs and loud mewling cries
he pours it a dish of her inferior food buy.

The cat knows the difference,
and scratches a little more deep,
asking for sustenance that tastes a little better
than dried, cobbled scraps cut from bad meat.

She wants to want him, she wants to want back,
He stays because he wants her, and knows she wants that.