Janie had been way too high-strung lately. Job upheavals along with life stresses had made her snappy, jangled, and short-tempered.

I love Janie, but I’d had enough.

I found her in the kitchen after work, opening and slamming cabinets like a crazy woman. I managed to get ahold of one flying arm and hold her by the wrist.

She turned to me and snarled, “Let me go.”

“Calm down, lover.”

She tugged her arm away and said, “Don’t tell me to calm down. The exact best way to piss me off is to tell me to calm down.”

Not only had her stress been high, but our sex life had hit a low. I couldn’t seem to get her to see that when you are stressed, anxious, and tired, fucking could be a lovely distraction and a feel-good event.