As we were getting ready for our last dinner on the cruise, Kate got upset with me. She said, “I guess I’ll have to wear my tennis shoes.” She gave me a dirty look. She had given me a clue about this yesterday. She told me that she wanted me to ask her before helping her with anything. She specifically mentioned packing her suitcase and indicated that it was something she was capable of doing. I didn’t know what she was talking about and told her I would try to do better. This afternoon she followed her mention about wearing her tennis shoes to dinner by saying she didn’t know why I took her other shoes out of her suitcase. She told me it was just stupid. Then I understood that this is one of those occasions when she believes I’ve said or done something that I have not said or done. I made no effort to contradict her. It would have been foolish and might even have made her feel bad about herself. The truth is that she only packed her tennis shoes for the trip and no other shoes. That meant that even on the formal nights when she was more formally dressed, she wore her casual (not really tennis) shoes.
