the 10 minute ride home

It is amazing what the human mind can think of in only ten minutes, they can be used to change or keep your life the way it is. That thought came to her head as they were driving home, they had just returned from a deli, another normal and routine filled day for them.
They were a young couple, both in their twenties not more; they've known each other for three years now. "Amazing!" she thought, how some things can change without you even you noticing them change and when you do it is probably too late. She glances at him, still with the same look on his face, eyes fixed on the road and not saying a word and why would he; he doesn’t really say anything much anymore anyway.
Looking out of the car window she notices a man looking at her and his eyes speak of desire, he used to look at her like that, but that was a long time ago. She wonders does he still love her. He says that he does but he hardly shows it and why should he, he already has her, she is his and no one else's anymore… she is a done deal.
She glances at him again, not a word coming out of his mouth or even a glance; she believes that if she decides now to open the door and throw herself out of the car he might not even notice till they get home. But she soon calms herself down and says to herself that it's not always like that some days he notices her more; did she bore him was she becoming un attractive to him. Then she remembers the man in the street and thinks to herself "I was attractive one day and men lusted after me, I don't think that over night I have turned ugly". She looks at him again and realizes how much she loves him and realizes that he loves her as well but as usual the routine monster has invaded them and will not let them be.
They are not that different from many couples around them, in her mind however, she misses the spark that early relationship spark. She waits almost everyday for that spark to come back, but it seems to be lost. No, she thinks, it's not lost, life moves way too fast for it to catch up with us, in order for us to regain that spark we have to pause life for a while so we can realize that it is still here and breathe life into it again. Looking at the stars from the car window she remembers the long phone calls they used to have, the romantic messages, the dates and wonders are these days just a beautiful memory or can they be a part of their everyday life; well she has to think this one over, now is not the good time for that.
They reach home, park the car, go on the elevator and enter their apartment; they do that with only exchanging a few words. After they enter he looks at her lovingly and asks her the same question he asks her everyday "would you like something to drink?" she thinks to herself "this will be one of those days, the routine days, I can almost calculate what will happen in the next few hours before bedtime" she laughs in her mind and tells him what she wants to drink with a smile, a loving one, simply because she knows that they are stuck in this cycle together and she is still wishing for the day when they will see each other as lusting lovers again.