The silent treatment continued for two more weeks. During that time, I woke up on the couch, prepared and ate food alone, and went to work. She never saw me at mornings, never had food at home, came home after me and went straight to sleep. I kept expecting an intervention, possible divorce, career and home loss.

It was on the 18th morning, that I entered the kitchen to find my wife sitting at the table. She had made coffee for two, but it was untouched in the jar.

I paused by the kitchen entrance and she looked me in the eye.

"Why don't you have a seat". Not a question. I sat opposite her.

"I am sorry, I called you a pervert", she began. "I assumed a picture of you, like in the movies, of abnormal people committing unspeakable acts. But, I realized, that's not you." A pause. "Are you?", she asked me directly.

"No, I am not".

"Okay", she replied.

"Does this mean that you are not mad at me?", I asked.

"No, I am mad. Very. I am not entirely sure, if it's you I am mad at though."

"Alright, so, what now?", I asked tentatively.

"You need to talk about this. I need to understand. We need to understand this, whatever this is".

"Talk, as in talk with a therapist? Like try and become normal?"

"No, not with a therapist. With me. We both need to talk with each other. We don't need a third person to help with our marriage. Not yet"

"Okay, fair enough, I would like that"

She came over and gave me a hug. There were tears in her eyes. For a moment, my eyes missed over, too.

Letting go of me, she took my face in her hands, "This only means that I am not sure where this is going and I would like to find out. It does not mean that I will stay with you forever or will leave you. I have to figure some things out, too"

Taking her hands in mine, I say, "It hurts to not know. I am hoping you would stay. But let's figure it out together."

Returning to her seat at the table, she says, "So this is how it will work. We will talk daily for some time. I will process what you say and ask you more questions. Mark my words, this will test you more than me. It will put you in a place where you will want to lie. I ask you only one thing - always tell me the truth, no matter what. Deal?"

"I will take it. When do we begin?"

"Right now. Let's get comfortable", she said leading me to the living room, where she had arranged two chairs across from each other.

She sat on one, indicating I should take the other one. She had a notebook ready for noting down whatever she wanted to note down.

I sat and looked at her expectantly.