Just answer the question!

Me: What time do you want me to come over?

Friend: What time do you want to come over?

Me: You are the one making dinner, what time should I come?

Friend: Well what time do you want to come?

Me: You are the one doing the inviting, just tell me what time I should arrive.

Friend: Anytime you want.

Me: What, 5 or 6 or 8?

Friend: How about 5:30?

Me: Fine, see you then.

Why is it so damn hard to get a direct answer to a direct question? Frankly, that is an abridged conversation above. It would have been too boring to have transcribed it if I could have remembered it all. At this point, my stomach is all clenched and I don't even want to go to dinner. Is it just this question? No, of course not. It is that whole way of not communicating.

Please, I beg of you, even if it will hurt my feelings, just answer the question, whether it be big like "Do you want to stay married?" or small like the time to arrive for dinner. Don't make me work for the answer. I just can't play that game, not ten years ago and not now.