Vindication

i heard her talking about
how she'd been making chile

carefully slicing up the chiles
and gently swatting them into the pot
to simmer all day.

he complained how it was different
but she pointed out
she'd only replaced one type of bean for another.

He didn't say it,
but he smiled when he mentioned
how she screamed
after putting on her contacts that day

"I cleaned my hands a dozen times
but it just wasn't enough," she said.

"Maybe if you'd cleaned them more carefully..."
his voice trailed off, but his smile broaded.

"I cleaned them fine,
those oils just don't come off easily."