Home
"Honey, will you be home for dinner?"
Jim was halfway out the front door when he heard his wife's voice. He could practically feel her anticipation boring into him.
"Sorry, sweetie." He looked back at her. "I owe Bob a favor so I'll probably be crunching the numbers till morning." On cue, her face fell, but she said nothing. He lowered his eyes and mumbled a "See you later." before closing the door behind him.
* * *
Jim pushed another report into the small pile on one side of his crowded desk and glanced at the opposite stack that looked positively monstrous in comparison. That was the last time he asked that man for any favors. His mind wandered to what he would be missing at home. Again.
He glanced distastefully at the boxes of unopened Chinese takeout situated in their usual place on his desk corner. Third day in a row.
Here he was, Friday night, pushing papers for hours while his wife was preparing delicious home cooking for which only she could be accredited, the kids were out for the evening, and all his coworkers had already left.
With one final glance, no, glare, at the sheer dreariness of his surroundings, he stood and sent his chair rolling backwards.
"To hell with it," he muttered.
* * *
Clasping the mug of hot cocoa with both hands, Cindy sat at the dining room table, staring at the swirling brown liquid. It was fall, which was usually the time to start warming oneself up with such things, but, of course, in the middle of sunny L.A., that usually wasn't the case. It was just easier to pretend it was.
The doorbell chimed. Cindy looked up in surprise and quickly glanced at the clock. It was past ten. She felt a slight shiver, but went to the door nevertheless. Who would possibly come knocking at this hour? More importantly, why when she was alone?
She opened the door cautiously and was met with a colorful display of flowers, which covered the face behind them.
"Jim!" she exclaimed, recognizing the suit at once.
Jim peeked his head around and smiled. "I'm home."
Cindy laughed, a tinkling sound of joy and relief. To think she had been afraid of her own husband!
"They're beautiful." She took the bouquet and smelled the flora appreciatively.
"Oh, and here." Jim procured a simple white box of her favorite chocolates. "I know it's not much and it's really late and, heck, it's so conventional that I'm embarrassed to even do it, but-"
"Honey," Cindy interrupted softly, smiling at her husband. "I'm glad you're home."
"Me too." He stepped inside.
"What about Bob?" Cindy asked, walking into kitchen.
"What about Bob?" He grinned.
Cindy laughed again and opened the fridge after fetching a vase for the flowers. "Did you eat? Because I can warm up some leftovers from dinner if you want-" She stopped when she felt a pair of arms encircling her waist. "Jim?" she smiled.
"We don't need to eat right now," he murmured into her hair, sending a wave of warmth down her spine.
She closed the fridge and turned around. "Oh? And what do you suggest we do in the meantime? I mean, now that we have so much of it." She raised an eyebrow suggestively.
He closed the gap between them with his lips and felt a kind of elation rushing through him that he hadn't felt in ages.
When they broke apart, he grinned once more. "I can think of a few things."
FIN