“So I guess you don’t need me…”

He said

pouting

head hung over his video game controller

his dirty dishes piled high in the sink.

I think about the clogged bathroom drain

that he hasn’t fixed

the squeaky door hinge

that he has yet to coat with WD-40

even though I bought the bottle

…a week ago

the pile of pizza boxes, ironically collected

after he told me

that going out to eat

was too expensive.

I think about my paycheck

and whether I’ll have enough leftover

to replace my make-up

after setting money aside

for my share of rent, utilities, and groceries

even though

he makes

more than me.

And then I can’t help but wonder

how on earth

if he needed to feel needed

why he didn’t just make himself

necessary.