The Bigger Picture
Chapter One.
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"Ooh that dress." His eyes light up as she exits the bedroom, she was wearing a small black dress that hugged her figure. He quite often forgot what a great figure she had when it was constantly hidden under her uniform or clothes that were too big for her. But not tonight. Her hair was down in loose curls that framed her face. Smiling back at her husband she gives him a peck on the cheek, trying to push the events of the day out of her mind.
"It's okay then? Not too…" He interrupts her, flinging his hands up.
"It's perfect." Taking her hand into his he smiles. "Come on, we'll be late."
Some hours later smiling at his wife he links arms with her as she stumbles out of the taxi, giggling to herself as she does so, maybe that last glass of wine was a bad idea. She'd already had at least two glasses before she'd got home and had since had a fair few more she was going to have one hell of a sore head tomorrow morning but that wasn't where her mind was and anyway it was her birthday. Following her husbands lead she stumbles in the house instantly kicking off her heels at the foot of the stairs. Moving his hands from hers he wraps them around her tiny waist as he begins to kiss her neck. Pushing her into the wall he moves down her body, unzipping her figure hugging black dress as he does he waits for her to object and push him off as she usually does but instead she responds by pulling his shirt off before leading him upstairs. Seconds later in the bedroom he pushes her on the bed, removing his trousers, before returning to kissing her neck as attempts to take off her bra but he was getting no where as her hands wandered further down finding the band of his boxers.
"It unhooks at the front." She finally told him as he became desperate. His eyes light up at her words before finally succeeding in removing her bra and flinging it to the floor. As he lifts her up, pushing her further up the bed his own underwear now on the floor as well, her mind momentarily flashes to fact that they had no protection. "Andrew we…" but a flash was all it lasted as his fingers wandered further down… they couldn't stop now. "Never mind." It was so rare that anything happened between them now, with work and the kids, nothing was going to happen was it? Not at their ages.
~~~~x~~~~
Sitting in Charlies office, currently her office whilst he was in Canada, she sighs as she thinks back to that moment a few weeks ago now. How stupid could she have been? She'd turned 40 not 60! Andrew was going to realise something was wrong, other than a difficult shift, if she didn't get a grip of herself. Thankfully he'd left for home about an hour ago but she couldn't avoid him and the boys forever. It was all so unfair, they'd tried for months to get pregnant with Jake at a time when age wasn't against them yet now it should be one drunken quickie was all it took. It was all over before it had even started as it more often than not was with Andrew. Five years ago she might have been okay with this but not now, not at her age! She couldn't do this again, not to mention she wasn't at all sure her marriage was strong enough to cope with another pregnancy and baby. This isn't what is supposed to happen at 40! Before she could wind herself up any further as if to save her from another panic attack a soft knock at the door breaks her thoughts.
"Come in." She doesn't glance up, she could guess who it would be.
"Duffy. Come on, isn't time you should go home, get some rest." Finally meeting Colette's eye she sighs.
"I don't know." She realised how worried Colette looked and for that felt guilty. The woman barely knew her, it wasn't fair to put all this on her but at the same time she was glad Charlie wasn't here. As much as Charlie was her best friend and would always be there for her he didn't need this, not with the state of his own marriage. Not to mention that when it came to unexpected pregnancies Charlie never really knew how to comfort her when she found out she was pregnant with Peter he just didn't know how to react and she hadn't made it easy for him.
"You can't stay here all night Duffy, Andrew is going to be worried." When it came apparent she wasn't going to answer Colette continued. "Come on, It's going to be okay."
She walked home a lot slower than she needed to just to avoid arriving home so by the time she eventually made it in the door she was met with a quite frantic Andrew.
"Where have you been, I was worried. I phoned work they said you left ages ago." Taking off her jacket and shoes her answer was basic.
"I walked." He wasn't feeling any better now that she was home, what was going on?
"Why? Why didn't you phone me?" Moving from the hall she heads for the kitchen but he follows her, not taking the hint.
"I fancied walking." Placing his hands on her shoulders he forces her to a halt.
"Duffy?" Trying not to cry and stay calm she sighs.
"Andrew please. Not tonight. I'm just exhausted after that shift. I need my bed."