Marriage

 

Marriage

 

She stared at the phone number for the Women’s Crisis Center, and knew she’d never call it.

After 45 years together, everyone looked at her marriage as a blessing, but she knew better.

Early on, she’d tried talking to her mother, and then a friend, and finally the pastor at her church, and they’d all said the same thing.

“The good Lord made you to be submissive to your husband. If you are having questions about that, you just need to pray harder.”

So, she’d covered her bruises and prayed harder.

“Sweet Jesus, please take him before he kills me.”