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could barely summon the energy to argue anymore.”
    “You—uh—you said not just sex. Kendall said something similar. I didn’t know you guys were—um—”
    “Incompatible?” Melanie forced a smile. “I can’t remember the last time we were intimate.”
    “Geez.”
    “Yeah. More than you wanted to know about us, huh?”
    “I’ll say.”
    “It wasn’t always like that. In the beginning—” Her face suddenly flushed with embarrassment when she realized how much she was revealing. She clenched her hands together until her fingers ached. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear about this.”
    “Not in detail, no.” Evelyn covered her hands. “Are you sure about this?”
    Evelyn’s eyes mirrored Melanie’s own grief, and emotion strangled any response she might have had. She nodded.
    “Are you—um—is there someone else?”
    “Wow. Kendall didn’t even accuse me of cheating.” She pulled her hands free and leaned back.
    “I didn’t mean—I’m just trying to understand what happened and why now.”
    “I’ve always been faithful, and if we’d stayed together I would have continued to be. But fidelity isn’t enough, Ev. I want her to be happy and I want to be happy. I want to be wanted—desperately. God, does that just make me sound like a pathetic romantic?”
    “Not at all,” Evelyn said quietly.
    “I’d convinced myself that couples were supposed to mellow into friendship—that it happened to everyone. But I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I need something more. Besides, that wasn’t our only issue. We barely see each other. I work all day, and by the time she gets home from work all I want to do is go to sleep.”
    “We bid for shifts every year. She’s got enough seniority to get day shift.”
    “I know. But she didn’t.”
    “That doesn’t make sense. If she knew you were having problems, she should have…”
    Melanie winced, knowing exactly the memory Evelyn’s mind had grabbed hold of. Once, last year, Kendall had told Evelyn she was thinking about bidding a different shift. Evelyn shot the idea down immediately without asking about Kendall’s motivations.
    “She never told me.” Guilt washed over Evelyn’s features.
    “It’s not your fault.” She and Kendall had talked extensively about the proposed change in shift, but in the end Kendall wouldn’t commit. She clung to her routines, both personally and professionally. Evelyn’s objection had been a convenient excuse, one of many. But she’d grown tired of excuses when she barely got to see her girlfriend. Just once, she wanted to come first.
    “Why didn’t you tell me? I know, this is about you guys, not me. But neither of you let on that things had gotten this far.”
    “I’d been telling myself my unhappiness would pass, that it was a phase. And I didn’t want to put you in the difficult position of choosing sides. I still don’t.” As close as they both were to Evelyn, Melanie believed some things should stay between them as a couple.
    “Is there anything I can do for you?”
    She shook her head.
    Evelyn looked as if she wanted to say something more, but she didn’t. Instead, she stood. “I’m sorry for barging in so early. But Kendall was so upset I kind of freaked out.” She backed toward the door and Melanie followed.
    “It’s okay. You were concerned for Kendall, I get it.”
    Evelyn lowered her head and fished her keys out of her pocket. “I’m sorry you guys are going through this. You’ll call me if you need something?”
    “Of course.”
    Again, she felt like Evelyn wanted to say something more, but she held back. After a moment of awkward silence, Evelyn nodded and opened the door.
    Melanie suppressed the urge to call her back inside and ask her to stay. Though she should be alone, to work through her feelings, she’d rather plop down on the sofa with Evelyn and find a good movie to distract herself for a few more hours. But Evelyn worked with Kendall and Kendall