Things often start off about something small but somehow escalate quickly.
The dreaded past gets brought up, you blame each other for your feelings, and one of you either walks away or gets so lost in the conversation that you both leave exhausted, hoping time will heal the wounds.
You're quiet for hours or even days, giving each other one-word answers, ruminating in your anger and pain. Life eventually gets busy and you're distracted with meetings and social events, pretending everything is fine. But eventually, you're back to life as usual.
You may think the argument is over, but the emotional residue left behind resurfaces in future conversations. If you don't repair the damage from an argument, it builds into resentment and a lack of respect over time. We see this happening every day in our private coaching with couples.