“Ten.” She watched him cross to his wardrobe, trying to recall the last time they had sex. Too long ago, she decided when she couldn’t immediately recall. “We have dinner at Wayne and Diane’s tomorrow night,” she said when he reappeared in khaki shorts and a faded Georgetown Law School T-shirt.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” he said, frowning.

“What?”

“Make plans without consulting me.”

“When have I ever consulted you before making plans with Wayne and Diane?” His annoyance surprised her.

“Exactly, but I’d like you to start. I was looking forward to a work-free weekend, but that’s clearly not going to happen now.”

“Phil?” She followed him back to his wardrobe, watching as he began to slip on a pair of running shoes. “What’s going on?” Wayne was one of the senior partners at his law firm, but also his best friend.

“Nothing. It’s been a long week and I wanted to stay in and relax, not socialize.” He walked back out into the bedroom, his arm brushing hers as he passed by.

“I could cancel.”

“No.” He slipped his cell phone into his pocket before heading towards the door. “You’ve already made the plans.”

She stared after him, a tingling of anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

Hours later, Lina glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was after midnight, and Phil still hadn’t come to bed. When she left him an hour and a half earlier watching television with Logan, she assumed he would follow, but that clearly wasn’t the case. She was considering going back downstairs when the bedroom door opened.

“I expected you to be asleep,” he said after closing the door.

“I was just reading.” She closed her magazine and set it on the nightstand. Another five minutes passed before he emerged from the bathroom and then the mattress was shifting as he stretched out beside her. “I’m tired,” he sighed as he lay back against his pillows.

Lina rolled onto her side to face him, stroking her hand over his bare chest. “Did you know it’s been three weeks?”

He turned his head slightly, meeting her eyes. “No.”

“I miss you.” She leaned in and kissed the corner of his lips.

“Do you?” He pulled his head back so he could meet her eyes.

“Yes.” She saw the doubt in his eyes. “I was waiting for you to come to bed.”

“Yeah?” He trailed his fingers down her cheek.

“Yes.” She covered the back of his hand with her own, holding it against her face. “I love you.”

He met her lips for a deep kiss. “I love you too, baby,” he said before kissing her again.

When Lina awoke the following morning, after her first full night’s sleep in five days, Phil was still asleep beside her, sprawled out on his back with one arm over his head and the other resting on his stomach, the sheet barely covering the lower portion of his body. The distance she’d felt when he returned from his trip was gone. When he’d looked into her eyes while his body moved within hers and told her he loved her, she’d felt the invisible force pulsating between them, a force that had been missing lately, as if it had taken a hiatus, but it was back last night and, in the light of day, she could still feel it like a warm blanket.