Dorothy Gilbert The Habit The habit of living with others is set deep in the body. In their settling house, the couple hear their gone dog's paws, the claws clicking on the floor. Spooned against each other, they wait for the sudden predictable dog weight on the foot of the bed. Home from the party, the woman opens her door cautiously, so that the cat won't run out into the night. Without noticing, she feels his presence in the house. Without thinking, she turns her head slightly, to check his bowl that isn't there. In bed, as she turns out the light, she arranges her feet for his space. It will be weeks or months before these people give up presence, know absence, in the way they move through their rooms, or lie in bed together or alone, or listen for small sounds at the edge of their awareness. Meanwhile they are propelled past the first gash by the habit of living. |