Then came the night everything changed.
It was the World Cup final, and Richard invited six friends over to watch the game.
I made an enormous pot of chili, filled bowls with chips, and stocked the coffee table with drinks.
“Bel, you’re a queen,” one of the guys said as I carried food into the living room.
“Enjoy it while it’s hot,” I joked.
Richard appeared in the doorway and clapped his hands.
“Gentlemen, my wife feeds you, cleans up after you, but apparently she doesn’t laugh at my jokes anymore!”
Several of the men chuckled.
David didn’t.
I carried the empty tray back toward the kitchen and repeated the same thing I had told myself a hundred times.
It was just Richard being Richard.
Later, I came back to gather the dirty plates.
As I reached the kitchen doorway, the living room suddenly burst into loud laughter.
