You Should Have Left

by Daniel Kehlmann

Marriage. The secret is that you love each other anyway. I wouldn’t want to be without her—I’d even miss her actor’s laugh. And she wouldn’t want to be without me. If only we didn’t get on each other’s nerves so much.

Do you think we’ll get snow? I asked. She didn’t reply. It’s definitely unseasonably warm, I said. In December there should be snow on the ground up here, right? Get away quickly, she said. What? Quickly, she said. Quickly get away.