As it got close to midnight last night, I realized my partner wasn't going to call me when he got off shift. Several nights a week, he'll call & we'll talk as he's making the 40 minute drive home. Today, after learning he may have been exposed to the virus, he was angry /1

& stressed. He'd called me from work in the afternoon to inform me of the situation, but I suppose his rationale was that he was in a bad mood & didn't want to share it with me.

So of course, I called him. I called him, & let him vent, listened & "uh huh"-ed & commiserated /2

Talked about the day, the news, learned a few new swear words, & bit by bit I could hear the stress leave his voice. He got home & I teased him about the squeaky screen door clearly audible through the Bluetooth. Told him to pet the cats for me. Listened to him slog tiredly /3

up the stairs & plop into his favorite chair. We continued to talk, & eventually the topic of that motherfucker in the White House was burned out of him and he started sharing funny bits from movies and music clips from YouTube. After about two and a half hours /4

I was drowsy but satisfied that he had stepped a bit back from the abyss of anger & worry. He thanked me for letting him vent as I sleepily said goodnight. That's what I'm here for, I told him. I can't hold you and I can't go to you, but at least I can be a voice on the /5

other end of the phone. Until we can be together again, it's enough. Well, it's not enough, it's not nearly enough, but it'll have to do for now. /end