It used to be worse than this but then we didn’t have a child. I’d leave at 7am, come home at 7pm. Six years ago he was still a junior nurse and he’d be given night shifts. It means if this is first night, then I just might catch him at the door, him going out, I just arrived. The following morning, I’d be gone when he comes home. If he’s on night for several days the scene I just described will repeat itself again and again.

Now, we’re both very tired from work. He’s a senior staff and is often in-charge of their ward. I’m managing (trying to) a test team from officially 9am to 530pm, which in reality is from the time I leave the house (7am) to the time I leave the office (6pm, on average) & some weekends, some work-related readings at night etc. And since we’re getting old and we do lack exercise, our bedtime has can be 9pm or 8pm. We’re both up by 6am, otherwise our son will start fussing.

We are with each other for 30 minutes in the morning and for 2-3 hours at night, from Monday to Friday, whether its his day off or not. On weekends, I get to spend as much time with my son as possible. I’d let him stay up late (i.e. 9pm) at times. But with hubby, it’s a different story. His weekend off’s are so few and far between, I’d come to cherish it. I’d look forward to it and wish that we have money to spare so we can always throw caution to the wind and just enjoy the 48 hours we’ve been given. But reality is, we’ve got a lawn that needs mowing, he’s tired and wants to sleep longer in the morning and some more in the afternoon. We’d cuddle and snore together, and that’s it most of the time.

I miss having time for each other when life was simpler and we’ve got nothing. No land deeds, no savings account (we still don’t by the amount that’s there), no son. But then we’d end up tired anyway but without our joy.

We need to take a LOOONNGGG break. A month or two with no work, no plans, no one to see, nothing to do. We’ll just hang with each other. Take long walks. See a film, play pool. Swim. Relax. Cuddle. Kiss. Stay in bed naked.

Maybe next year.