she's crying again

she's crying again.
you see her
in the kitchen
with her elbows
on the table.
you've learned
the hard way
to leave her alone
when she's like
this. her head
is in her hands,
her face is red,
the part that isn't
covered by her
fingers.
the sobs are deep
and long.
you hope it has
something to do
with her cat
again, or a recipe
gone awry and not you.
but just to be safe,
you quietly
slip out the back
door and go
for a bike ride.