Within the next few weeks Punk had made a start on the nursery while AJ done what she done best, nothing. She just sat and watched, normally sitting on the rocking chair watching him build the crib and drawers while eating a muffin. Lucky for Punk, he liked to do things without help anyway.
Tate and Thomas had been taken more interest in the baby now and Tate had even began feeling AJ's tummy when it kicked, finding it so amusing and entertaining. AJ was just glad the boys were both fond of the idea now, and were ready to have a little sister.
Punk had heard back from the newspaper headquarters and was surprisingly given an interview for the open space as a columnist in the local newspaper, to which AJ was so proud of, she seemed more excited than him.
"I just want to have low expectations going in, they're probably not going to take me on with me not having qualifications, but it's worth a shot, right?" AJ asked his wife as she done his tie for him in their room.
"Just go in there and show everyone why you deserve the job. I know you can." She smiled with great confidence in him, "You scrub up pretty well." She smiled at her handy work, never seeing Punk in a suit before in her life. For once she felt like the tramp of the relationship, not that she was calling a husband a tramp… he just, wasn't enthusiastic about how he was presented to people. But she was making sure he made a good impression today.
"Thanks." Punk smiled to her, "I think." He grabbed a folder with some work from on their bed. He knew that regardless of getting the job or not, he still had the garage, and most importantly, he still had his wife and kids.
"Good luck, baby." AJ smiled, reaching up on her tip toes, holding her hands at her lower back as she kissed him softly on the lips, seeing him smile as he pulled back.
"Luck is for losers." Punk winked to her, "You know this." He smiled, opening the bedroom door with as much confidence as he could find, heading downstairs and possibly heading into his next occupation.
Later on…
The interviewer he was interviewed by was of course the man who would wind up being his boss, therefor the guy was picking at every little detail Punk had to offer. He couldn't remember the last time he sat through an interview, never mind whilst sitting in an uncomfortable suit.
He was asked a minority of questions, some personal, some to do with writing, some to do about general life. He tried to answer in the most technical of ways, but he figured he had to be honest, be himself, just so his possible boss knew who he really was.
"So… you got a wife? Kids? Cat?" His boss asked curiously, sitting across from Punk at his desk, writing some things down.
"Eh… yeah, I got a wife. April. We have two kids, well… three in a few months. And uh… we don't have a cat." He said, not sure if that was a joke or just a genuine question.
"Have you wrote about them before?" His possible boss, Mr Jones asked.
"Sometimes. Not a lot, I mean… when does a father of two get to sit down in his own time and write?" Punk chuckled as Mr Jones smiled, "I used to write about April when I was in prison." Punk said with a slip of his tongue, forgetting that he was in a job interview with a man wanting the best guy with no criminal record.
"Prison?" Mr Jones asked, opening Punks rezime on his computer, seeing his conviction records in front of him, looking over his glasses at Punk.
"Shit… yeah, I shouldn't have said that." Punk chuckled nervously, figuring he had blew it most definitely, who would hire an ex convict.
"Phil… why do you want this job?" Mr Jones asked, leaning back on his chair.
Punk swallowed loudly, "Well… I guess it'd be like a fresh start, for me and my family. I can't keep working at a garage with three kids at home, and lucky for me I'm actually good at writing, you know… my wife is smart, she's… she's amazing, she helps people get better, something I could never do… but, I can write, I can make people smile, laugh, cry, whatever it is you want me to write about, I can get readers to pick up your paper and be interested." Punk promised, "I'm just a normal guy who's made mistakes. I'm a normal guy, with a normal life. I… I brush the floor and sweep it under the rug, I don't lift the toilet seat when I pee, I then get beat up by my wife for not lifting it… I tell my kids their noses will grow if they lie when that's just a fucking lie, but they believe me, because I'm their dad, and they trust me." Punk said, not even catching Mr Jones smiling to himself.
Punk began again, "I wear socks when I shower because I hate feet, my wife then makes me rub her feet to try and help my fear, I forget to pick up anything my wife asks me to bring home from the store, I have a cupboard in my house where I just stuff with things I've broken in my house to hide from my wife, I dislike my mother in law, I dislike lego blocks that I stand on almost every day, I switch the alarm off for an extra five minutes every morning… because, I'm just a normal guy. I had to spend good money on this suit that I'll no doubt never wear again, just because I figured I needed to hide my two sleeves of tattoos from you, because that would make a bad impression." Punk said, figuring if he was going down, he was saying his peace.
"I'm just a normal guy." Punk shrugged, "With a normal life, living in a normal city, asking for this normal job that I really want to work." Punk said, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt, not finding that it would matter now anyway.
"You're hired. You got the job." Mr Jones said, not needing to hear any more.
Punk shook his head quickly in confusion, "W-What?" Punk shook his head again.
"All those things you just said… they're relevant. Your honest, I like honesty. I hide broken things from my wife to, and I've never been honest enough to admit it until you did." Mr Jones laughed, "That's what I want you to write about…" Mr Jones smiled, having taken a big liking to Punk already, his honestly screaming out to him as soon as he walked in the door.
"Write about what?" Punk asked, still in a daze, not believing that he had really just been hired to be a columnist. He'd have his own column, in a newspaper, that everyone read.
"Write about what you just talked about. Real life. Talk about your wife, your kids, your fear of feet, pissing all over the toilet pan…" Mr Jones chuckled, "I think you're hilarious. I think you could write some real funny stuff, Phil."
"O-Ok." Punk nodded, still not sinking everything in.
"Come on, I'll show you your office." Mr Jones stood up from his desk, heading out with Punk tagging behind to show his newest columnist his new office.
Later on…
AJ had a nice day off from the kids, and her and Punk were now getting the night off as her mother text to say the kids had fell asleep and she was just going to put them to bed, which was fine with AJ, more peace and quiet for her.
She couldn't stop thinking about Punk in his interview. She knew how much Punk loved writing, from the moment she met him, but it all seemed to go downhill once they got married and settled down, it became more and more of a fantasy to him, but now he was really getting a chance to show his talent, in the newspaper of all things. And it was great money.
She didn't know when she was going to be back working with her patients, possibly in another week or so, since she did work at home and her being pregnant wasn't really an issue. She was planning to work right to the birth, it would be easy.
She had sat all day lying on the couch, enjoying peace and quiet although still thinking of Punk as it went dark outside, hearing him come through the door, standing up and walking out into the hall. His tie was pulled off and the top three buttons of his shirt were undone, along with his suit back trailing from his hand.
"How did it go?" AJ asked with tingling nerves, assuming the worst had happened, seeing Punks fake frown on his face, until it burst into smile and she felt herself get picked up into his arms.
"I got the job." He said with excitement, spinning her around as she smiled with an escaped laugh, being put down on her feet as she shook her head with confusion.
"How? So quick… did he like you?" AJ asked, a huge smile on her face, so happy for her husband.
"He fucking loved me, AJ. He gave me the job right there and then. He wants me to write about real life, real life situations, my family, fears, doings, everything… I can't believe it." Punk said, still high on adrenalin and shock.
"I'm so… so proud of you, Phil." AJ reached up to cup his cheek. He had always supported her through her college struggles to get to where she was at, now it was her turn to be the supporting wife and be so so proud of him, which she was. She had no doubt he was going to smash this out of the park.
"Where is the boys?" Punk asked, feeling like the house was too quiet.
"They're staying at my mom's tonight." AJ told Punk, watching him nod with a crooked smile.
"So we have the house to ourself." Punk raised his eyebrows as she chuckled, feeling him lift her up bridal style, like she was a feather. They did have a lot of celebrating to be doing after all.
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