One Miscommunication, No Ice

So my husband and I are sitting on the couch watching the Olympics, each savoring a dish of raspberry sorbet when he asks, "Do you have ice in yours?"

I thought he asked me if I have eyes and ears so I answer in a slightly condescending little sing-song voice, "Yes, I have eyes and ears."

Turning his gaze away from the TV screen, he looks at me wide-eyed like I'm going deaf and says slowly, "I didn't ask you if I have ice in mine... I asked if you have ice in yours."

Surprised, I answer "What? I thought you asked me if I have eyes and ears."

Now he's smiling. "I know you have eyes and ears. I thought you said, 'Yes, I have ice in yours', meaning mine. I was asking you if you have ice in yours - your sorbet!"

"Oh, that's different," I tell him, "No, I don't have any ice in mine."

We laugh until we cry, and then, breathless from that laughter, we talk about how easy it is to hear something that wasn't said -- and we secretly think about the times we've argued over some perceived statement that maybe didn't exist.

We lean a little closer to each other and go back to watching the Olympics and eating our sorbet, with and without ice, content with the happy ending of our crazy miscommunication.