She quietly closes
The door behind her
Slowly and gently
She's done this before
Waits for the click
And tiptoes
Down the hall
Careful of all the spots
That creak and groan
Under her feet
In the darkness
She can make out
The outlines of doorways
She knows
He's in the second one
But she needs
To make it to the third
To kiss
Her son goodnight
Outside the first door
She pauses
To catch her breath
To adjust her weight
To calm her nerves
This is when
It matters most
That she keeps
Her composure
And does not
Look back
Outside the second door
She strains her ears
To catch a sign
The slightest trace
That he's asleep tonight
And not awake
Waiting
She listens close
And shuts her eyes
Not just to focus in
But to pray
That just this once
She can
Kiss her son goodnight
The silence
Encourages her
To push on
To the third door
She takes a step
And just like that
The second door
Bursts open
With enough force
To shake the house
And she looks into
The blood red face
Of the man she once knew
The man she once loved
The man that now
Raises his hand above
His loving wife