The Silent Wife

Todd is concerned about the amount of money the wedding is costing him. The wedding guest list is mostly Natasha’s extended family, with Todd only inviting a few friends and their wives. Dean refuses to come, and says he’d “rather die than see her married to the likes of Todd Gilbert” (211). Todd wonders when Natasha is going to “settle down” and become more like Jodi. He tries to accept what he experiences as her controlling tendencies. He is gratified that she hasn’t lost interest in sex but thinks that it’s becoming more like “standard fare.” During his recent encounter with Jodi, he had been turned on by her stillness, which annoyed him in the past. Todd reminds himself not to be sentimental. He cannot afford to keep up two households, so he reluctantly plans to serve Jodi with an eviction notice.

At the dentist, the hygienist finds a lesion in his mouth and asks if he’s been tested for HIV. Preoccupied with thoughts of his own death, the only thing that comforts Todd is thinking about his unborn baby.

Jodi receives the eviction notice. Eventually she calls Todd to ask about it; Todd says it’s a mistake that she was sent a letter before he could talk to her. He explains that he can’t afford to keep the condo. Jodi argues and eventually hangs up on him. She believes that he plans to sell the condo to further his business ambitions.

Later that day, Dean calls to tell Jodi that she’s been on his mind. He says that Natasha needs a woman’s influence, someone to talk some sense into her. He says Todd keeps calling him but that he will never forgive Todd. He asks her to lunch, but Jodi declines. She knows that Dean has an agenda for her and suspects it has to do with talking to Natasha.

Todd rationalizes his actions to himself after speaking with Jodi. He calls Harry to complain about the letter; Harry blames his assistant and points out that Jodi would be upset regardless of how she found out. Todd wants to believe that Jodi is practical and will find herself a cozy rental within a few days. He hopes that she’ll still let him come visit. Life with Natasha is louder and more cluttered, and this will only get worse when the baby is born.

Todd enjoys driving around in his Porsche. He compares himself favorably to his father in that his “dignified perch” is an expensive car and his father only presided from a worn recliner. He finds himself mimicking some of his father’s moments while he drives.

Jodi visits an expensive divorce attorney who has “devoted her career to turning dependent, unhappy wives into liberated, freewheeling ex-wives—a sisterhood of prosperous divorcées” (228). The lawyer explains that common-law marriage is not legally recognized in Illinois and that Jodi s not entitled to any division of assets or spousal support. Nevertheless, she says, Jodi’s position isn’t terrible, because she gets to keep the furniture and other household items. Instead of “squabbling,” Jodi will get to “preserve” her dignity.

Back at home, Jodi takes a nap. She drinks vodka for dinner. She reflects on the last 20 years and her longstanding commitment to stability. She thinks if she had continued her psychotherapy sessions with Gerard, he could have steered her away from this outcome.

On his way to the gym, Todd gets a call from Natasha telling him to be home by seven with wine for dinner. He resents being sent on errands because there’s no “give-and-take”—she doesn’t cook or keep the house clean (238). Defiantly, Todd stops for a beer rather than exercising. He knows Natasha will be angry, but hopes she will be less angry than when he arrived home at three o’clock in the morning after dinner with Jodi. At the time, he’d claimed he was with Harry, but Natasha had known better.

At a hotel bar, he thinks about his many years with Jodi and how buoyed he’s been by her confidence and support. He orders several beers and eats two burgers. Natasha calls and says it sounds like he’s in a bar. He tells her that he loves her and that’s the important thing. She demands that he pay his tab and come home; she insists on staying on the phone while he settles up.

Jodi doesn’t leave the condo for eight days, relying on online shopping and a dog walker for her needs. Without her routines and responsibilities, Jodi flounders. She spends her time worrying about future eviction scenarios, picturing raids and betrayals of trust. She can’t sleep. She keeps seeing patients, knowing the income is more important than ever, but her moodiness and irritability make patience a struggle.

She sends her cleaning woman, Klara, to deposit checks, withdraw cash, and pick up more vodka. After Klara returns, Jodi locks herself in her office and listens to her new voice messages. There is one from Todd that she can barely hear through the sound of Klara vacuuming. She hears Todd’s distraught voice saying something about a nightmare, but she’s impatient and annoyed by the noise and deletes it.

Todd worries about the results of his STI tests. He hasn’t told Natasha about the lesion. By the time the results come in, the wedding will be only a few days away. Todd dreads both equally. To make matters worse, he develops an invisible rash on his penis. He itches while he drives and thinks about the wedding expenses. A fight about the number of bridesmaids had escalated into violence: Natasha had “leapt up and came at him like a cat, all teeth and nails,” at which point he gave her “a cuff on the ear” (257, 255). Natasha went to her father afterwards, who now hates Todd even more.

Todd has been having trouble sleeping. He has a recurring dream where he is running on the treadmill and then, suddenly, he’s in midair, feet still running but nothing beneath him. He struggles to run fast enough that he doesn’t fall, but he knows he won’t be able to keep it up for long.