[ RF ] `` No , I 'm sorry . I 'm done . I ca n't , not anymore . ''

His friends and coworkers always made fun of Peter for waking up at 6AM on the weekends. It seemed the general consensus among his peers was that unless something needed to be done, weekends were for sleeping. Yet, despite the good-natured jeering from his friends, Peter was in his late forties and thus set in his ways. He had done this for as long as he could remember. Before, it was because his father made him wake up that early. But recently it was because he liked to sit in his kitchen and sip his coffee in the quiet of the morning. Generally, his wife did n't wake up until eight. So it was her presence in the kitchen at 6:30, not the fact that she was holding two bags at her sides, that surprised him. 
 
 `` Hey honey, what're you doing up so early?'' He asked, not even noticing she had packed. 
 
 `` I'm leaving you, Pete,'' She replied with no emotion. 
 
 It took Peter a few seconds to process what he had just heard. `` What?'' he asked her, sure he heard her wrong. 
 
 `` I'm leaving you, Pete. Maybe for a week, maybe forever. I just know I have to leave you.'' 
 
 At this point, Peter was frantic. He stood up so fast he hit his thighs on the table. `` Why are you leaving me? Can we at least talk about this?'' He was usually a very smooth and concise speaker, but now he was stumbling through simple sentences. 
 
 `` I've given it a lot of thought. I just feel like I need to do this for me.'' 
 
 `` Okay, but why?'' 
 
 `` Because I'm unhappy, Peter! I ca n't describe it and I doubt you'd understand... but I just need to get away from this whole... thing. I just ca n't do this anymore.'' 
 
 `` Was it something I did? What can I do to make you stay, Jane?'' Pete was always worried that he was pushing his wife away. Now he thought he finally did it. 
 
 `` No, sweetie. You did n't do anything. It's not you, it's just the life I found myself in. It was all so gradual and... just not me at all. I miss who I was and, quite frankly, I do n't know who I am anymore. So that's why I'm saying this may be permanent. I'm going to find myself and who I find may not be suitable for this life... or someone you can love.'' 
 
 `` Babe, you know I'll always love you no matter what.'' 
 
 `` I know, Pete. And I love you too. But I do n't love myself right now and that's what's most important.'' 
 
 Pete could n't argue with that. `` But can we at least talk about this? I'll do anything to keep you here. I'll change with you if that's what it takes! Just please, for the love of god and all that is holy, please do n't leave me! I love you too much!'' He was practically pleading at this point, not on his knees, although that would have been more apt to the way he was acting. 
 
 `` No, I'm sorry. I'm done. I ca n't, not anymore. It's not you, it's not me, I just need to live the life I want. And I do n't remember ever signing up for this life of complacency and normality. We only get one life, Peter. I suggest you make sure you're living the life you want to, because I care about you and I'd hate to see you make the same mistake I was about to make.'' And, with that, she turned and left. 
 
 Pete understood. But while this was n't the life he necessarily wanted, he was more or less happy because he had Jane in his life. And now he did n't even have that. All he had was his empty house, quiet in the morning just as he liked it.
