Torn

Pamela stood in the driveway, dressed for work but still drinking coffee (looking around suspiciously). "Are you okay?" Chris called from the front door. "Torn," came the response. "I'm torn between resilience and anarchy; they start the same, but end differently." Chris let a few moments of silence pass and then asked, "Do I need to do anything?" "Well, I'd restock the wine for starters, whether that's for me, you, or both of us," Pamela advised softly, "and maybe check the go bag. At this point, I have to trust our bond that you'll know if an alibi is needed." Afterward her departure, Chris took a moment to wonder if Pamela's love language was "putting you on high alert"; it was weird, but never boring (mostly because it was increasingly plausible).