Ariane wakes up to find her husband fast asleep, his hand near his face and his wrist bent at a right angle, just like hers when she sleeps. She has always found this commonality between them heartwarming. Despite the joy she derives from his presence, something troubles her. Last night, her husband did not wish her good night, so she refuses to cuddle with him now. She also notices that he has slept through the light streaming from the shutters she opened earlier, despite claiming for years that he needs total darkness to sleep. His sound sleep now suggests he lied to her. 

It is easy for her to think such thoughts on a Tuesday, the color of which is black. Tuesday is a day for quarrels, since it is the day of Mars, the Roman god of war. Later, Ariane dresses for the day, applying a perfume she hopes her husband will find sexy. However, she knows that on her the scent is sweet rather than sensuous. As if to confirm her suspicion, her husband gives her a perfunctory kiss before he leaves for work.