"Are you alright?" My husband peered intently into my face, his black-rimmed glasses mere inches from my nose. "You seem sad tonight."

"Sad? No, I don't think so," I said, giving him a quick peck on the lips before turning back to the stove. "Why do you say that?"

"You just seem a bit... off," he faltered. His hands wrapped gently around my shoulders and turned me back towards him. "You sure you're okay?"

"Well, yeah, I'm fine!" I insisted. "What do you mean?"

"I noticed you're a bit testy tonight."

"I'm testy every night!"

"...Worse than usual. I just wanted to make sure everything is okay."

I paused, thinking about it. "Oh! Well, I am PMSing, but I didn't realize I was being so testy."

He grinned with relief. "That's what I thought, but I didn't want to say it like that. Cuz... you know."

I burst out laughing. My diplomatic idiot husband! He's so cute and earnest and endearing. In a flash, my minor irritation dissolved and was replaced with chagrin. I took him in my arms and nibbled on his chin between giggles. We stood in the middle of the kitchen,feeling at once both mercifully understood... and understanding.