One minute in, it's fine, 'cause we're both tired, we're both cold
Two minutes in, the car's warmed up, we're headed for the road
My blinker on, I tap my thumb, impatient for the turn
Then we're off, three minutes in, still haven't said a word
Minute four, head racing, should I ask what's on your mind?
I know you'll answer, "Nothing," and be right back to the quiet
Five, but the answer's never nothing
Six, I wish this all were nothing
Now seven minutes in, have we ever been this silent before?
A marriage built on laughs and songs now crashing to the floor
Watching while it falls, wondering, will it shatter, will it crack?
Or just a chip, a blip on the radar, before it swings right back?
Eight, our bodies are tired
Nine, our souls are so tired
Ten, I catch a glance, your eyes stare dead ahead, no flinch
The car is moving miles but we haven't moved an inch
I look again, eleven, waiting for a sign of pain
You turn to me, we crack half-smiles as I swerve out in the lane
Twelve, quickly correcting, I make straight the path again
Reach over, thirteen, open your palm and grasp your hand
It's warm as I remember, yet the warmth is also gone
Continue down the highway, unsure if I should hold on
Fourteen, another minute of silence
Like we're trying to set a record for something
Fifteen, another minute of silence
Am I over- or under-thinking something?
Sixteen, another quick glance, another half smile
Another mile, then I take back my hand
Two minutes go by, I can tell you're about to cry
I shouldn't have to wonder why
Both hands on the wheel, focused on the drive
But still, never would've guessed
You and I could create such a long silence
At that very moment
You broke it with a whisper I couldn't comprehend
Twenty, and I asked if you could say it louder than before
You said, "Do you not like holding my hands anymore?"
You barely made out the consonants
But I heard it loud and clear
As I bore the weight and the consequence
Of my actions that'd led us here
It was my coldness that made you ask
And I let the distance grow
Instead of standing, taking up the task
Of loving you wherever you go
In the car or on the couch at home
In the body or in the soul
Wherever it is that you're cold
To not let my shame take the wheel and drive us
To a place where there's no hope