'Communication' by Natalie Bowers

Kyle, our counsellor, says, 'the key to a healthy relationship is good communication.' Well, Jim and me ain't never had a problem with communication, and these days we don't even need to talk to each other to know how each other's feeling.

When Jim comes in from work, he don't have to say nothing about his day. I can tell whether it's been good or bad just from the way he shuts the front door. If it thuds, it's been a good day. If he shuts it all quiet-like, well, let's just say I leave him to pop the lid off his own beer, put his dinner on a tray and turn the telly on himself.

Likewise, Jim don't need me to spell it out for him when I don't want to … you know. All I have to do is hug a hot water bottle and he gets the message. Won't come near me then.

Don't get me wrong, we do talk. Take last Thursday evening for example.

'Don't be back late,' he says to me. 'Got an early start. I need a good night's sleep.'

'And I need a good night out,' I said to him. 'I'll be back when I'm back.'

See? That's good communication that is. Honest and direct. Both of us knew what we wanted and where we stood. Both of us 'expressed our needs and desires' as Kyle would say. Reckon he would have approved of that little chat.