The day had started as any other Saturday- Joe getting ready for work with Emily still in bed. The sun was barely up, yet Joe was heading towards another challenging day at his weekend job downtown. As Joe maneuvered his way through traffic, his phone vibrated. Seeing it was Emily, he put it on speaker, hoping it would be have a good day at work. No. Not this morning was different.
Emily had called Joe, and they talked asked him a few questions and he answered them truthfully and the last question she asked him about the IRS? he said ‘yeah that’s the institute that put a tax on your money. Well let’s just say that wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear.
Out of nowhere, she went on a fiery rant. You always saying negative things you never understand me, Joe, she said, with resentment. It's like why would you say that to me. I'm tired of explaining myself to you over and over. The torment of criticism continued for what seemed like an eternity, leaving Joe stunned and clueless. Then, as swiftly as the storm came, Emily slammed down the phone, hanging up abruptly.
Fast forward eight grueling work hours later, Joe was driving home after a day where the thought of Emily's words kept on hammering on his mind, keeping him distracted. He had decided he'd address the issue after he'd cooled off, he didn't want the exchange to get uglier than it already was.
As if on cue, his phone buzzed again. Emily was on the line. Hesitating only briefly, he decided to pick up the call. Joe, she said in an eerily calm tone. I think we need to talk.
A rush of adrenaline flowed inside him. He let out a half-laugh and said, Emily, you literally cursed me out and hung up in my damn face this morning. Are you bipolar or something? All I did was answer your question and spoke the truth. Nobody wants to hear the truth nowadays? Now what do you want?
Joe wasn't an insensitive person, but this particular roller coaster of emotions Emily had been showing him had ran its course. He was all out of patience. But the all frustrations of the day had messed up his thought process. As the silence loomed on the other side of the line, he held his breath, preparing for another storm.
Understanding the feelings of others is never an easy task, but love brings a duty to understand, a duty that Joe and Emily had towards each other. Unpredictability is a part of life and of love; understanding and respect for emotions must prevail.
That Wednesday ended in unresolved issues and frayed emotions, with both Joe and Emily hanging onto the shared phone line, unsure of how to proceed. Yet it's moments like these that eventually carve out the love story, raw and genuine. It’s the challenges faced and the trials conquered that add depth to relationships that bring you closer together. This episode, was one of many to come, in Joe and Emily’s journey.