The Baker's Wife: A Short Story

Rose Bianco has been working her entire married life in the St. Louis bakery her husband Sal inherited from his parents. Now Bianco's is closing, the entire block destined for the headache ball to accommodate another tacky discount store. If only Rose and Sal could agree on how to spend their retirement years. She wants to travel; he wants to open a mom and pop fishing resort in Missouri's Ozarks.

"l'll call it Sal's Hideaway, a quality retreat for the sports-minded," Sal tells Rose. "I'll be the fishing and hunting guide. You can do the cleaning and cooking. After we get settled, I'll teach you the finer techniques of pie making. You can start a little side business to support all those extras you always want."

"Stop it, Sal. You're killing me," Rose said.

"More like giving you a reason to live. Think second careers for both of us. Ain't we always been good at making a living? Although I sometimes wonder where all the money went."

Surely, there must be a way Rose and Sal can work this out. After all, isn't that what marriage is about - the art of compromise?