Terri looked around her house and sighed. She was feeling disconnected and didn't know why. She had a wonderful husband. In fact she couldn't have asked for a better father to her children. He loved her with all her heart, but she still felt restless. Yes, Terri was restless and itching to do something. Something crazy, something totally out of character for her. She walked into the house and sighed. The place was a mess. There were empty food containers everywhere. She felt like crying. She'd had a terrible day at work and now this. She started cleaning up as Jack walked into the room. He smiled and leaned over to give her a kiss. She ducked out of the way and said "Couldn't you and the kids at least clean up after yourselves every once in awhile?"
Jack flashed her a winning smile that had worked so many times in the past and said "Sorry honey! We got busy!"
Terri sighed and said "Which game was it this time?"
"It's very cool. A virtual reality game that…"
She tuned him out as he described the game. She was tired of the same old excuses. She knew that he worked hard, but so did she! No matter how much she complained nothing ever changed. Sometimes it was just easier to do it herself than to ask Jack to lift a finger. The more she cleaned the madder she got. She was no longer a nurse. Although she still worked in the medical field. She was now a forensic specialist. She helped investigate crime scenes. The new field had meant many years of training and proving herself in a male dominated field. Sometimes she wished she could work all the time. Sometimes being at work was more peaceful than coming home. At least she was appreciated there. Here she felt as though she was nothing more that a glorified housekeeper.
She finally finished cleaning and decided to take a bath. She undressed and slipped into the water. She poured bath salts into the water and closed her eyes. She let herself dream about being someone else. Someone without the pressures that were present in her life these days.
Soon her skin was wrinkled and the water was cold. She reached for the towel and stood up. She dried off and put her nightgown on. She sighed as she climbed into bed, another night that she was going to be alone.
She was awoken early in the morning by the ringing of the telephone. She was used to hearing the phone ring. The line of work she was in was unpredictable and duty called at all hours of the day and night. She picked up the phone and said "Hello?"
She heard the voice of her partner on the other end. He was wide awake as he said "Terri? We have a case!"
She smiled and said "And here I thought you were just calling to say hello!"
He was quiet for a minute and finally said "I'll meet you downtown!"
"Okay! Give me a few minutes to get dressed."
Terri swore that she heard him swallow hard before he said "Okay."
Terri gently nudged Jack and said "Gotta go downtown."
Jack mumbled something in his sleep and Terri sighed as she got up to get dressed. Something was definitely missing in her life. She was dying to do something daring. She didn't know what, but it was like a constant itching at the back of her head. It was calling her, but she didn't know what exactly it was. She felt it deep inside her body. Hopefully she would discover it soon.