Sensing Light by Mark A. Jacobson

he was glad to show her the ropes on the medical wards. It was an excuse to escape from what was becoming tedium. Once he appreciated how at ease she was with herself and others, he sought opportunities to be with her, hoping it might rub off on him. She took the next step, suggesting they double-date. Their respective boyfriends, Marco and Rick, found each other kindred spirits and poked gentle fun at the two more reserved doctors. The evening was a wild success.
    â€œHow are things at home?” asked Gwen.
    â€œOK. Better, actually. You?”
    â€œGood enough.”
    â€œGood enough?”
    â€œMaybe they could be better. I shouldn’t complain. So what happened with you two? You’d been fighting a lot.”
    â€œI don’t know…”
    She waited.
    â€œOK,” he confessed. “We decided to get some relationship advice from friends, an older gay couple who’ve been together for years. Now we’re working at not letting conflicts stew. They call it ‘immediate decompression of tension.’”
    â€œKevin, that sounds like New Age psychobabble. I can’t picture you and Marco constantly talking about your feelings.”
    â€œHardly. Come on, you know what I mean. Don’t you?”
    â€œNot really. Have you guys figured out how to avoid getting annoyed with each other?”
    â€œNo, we’re just taking it less seriously when it happens. It usually means one of us either needs more freedom or wants more reassurance he’s loved. And if the other can accept that without being threatened by it, the tension defuses.”
    Gwen stared at him, her mouth open.
    â€œThat’s an astonishing insight for…”
    â€œFor what?”
    â€œUmm…”
    Kevin grinned slyly.
    â€œYou were going to say a man, weren’t you? An astonishing insight for a man. Oh my God, Gwen! I am so disappointed. You are the last person I would have suspected of such blatant sexism. I guess it just goes to show how ingrained the prejudice men have to deal with is. In fact, you’re a textbook demonstration of why we’re so oppressed. It’s terrible that mothers still pass on such garbage to their daughters. Even someone as enlightened as you can’t shed the bigotry.”
    â€œStop,” Gwen giggled. “I was going to say ‘a person of your age.’”
    Kevin shook his head no.
    â€œAfter I said ‘a man,’” Gwen admitted, “I was going to say ‘and a person of your age, but...’”
    â€œGotcha,” Kevin exulted, pecking victoriously at her with his index fingers.
    â€œStop,” she laughed. “You’re very lucky. Do you know that?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œI don’t have that kind of openness with Rick. I tell him what I’m feeling, but he’s the ‘still-waters-run-deep’ type. And I’m never sure how deep they are or where they’re running.”
    â€œRick? He seems pretty extroverted to me.”
    â€œNow you’re being dense, Kevin. I’m talking about what he says to me when he’s pissed off.”
    â€œWhat does he say?”
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œAnd you know he’s pissed because…?”
    â€œThat’s the point. Sometimes I don’t know whether he’s angry or not, and he won’t admit to it. I know he’s no saint. You should hear what he says about the demanding parents at his school. They can push his buttons.”
    â€œI can’t believe you’re all that difficult to live with.”
    â€œI’m not perfect.”
    â€œMaybe he doesn’t expect perfect. Maybe you’re good enough. Maybe he doesn’t have anything to complain about.”
    â€œKevin, that’s too good to be true.”
    â€œIs it?”
    â€œOh, my goodness. You’re more romantic than I thought.”
    Kevin suddenly noticed Herb at the nurses’ station and waved at