Welcome Home

A man comes home to his wife.

He straightened his tie. His hand smoothed down his hair. He popped a breath mint in his mouth. He promptly swallowed it. It’s not as if he could keep it there. He had no time to suck on it. He put the key in the keyhole and unlocked the door. He closed it behind him and entered; taking off his shoes at once. She took off his jacket from his shoulders and took his briefcase gently before placing it on the ground. “How was work?” she asked tentatively.

“Good.” One word answers suited him well. Who knows how long they stood there. Like that. Was he simply a mock husband and was she simply an actress wife? A trophy housewife of sorts? She seemed to sense his weird air of caution. She glanced at him, her heavy eyelashes batting.

“Would you like to eat? Or take a bath? Or…” She took a step closer. “Me…?”

Her eyes sparkled like green gemstones. An aura of light seemed to emanate from them. Before he knew it his eyes flashed a deep red, a crimson scarlet red and he was aware of his own face reflected in those eyes. In an instant the whites of her eyes darkened to a frightening degree and they were locked there.

She blushed. “If you continue to look at me like so…” She was unable to meet his gaze but she felt it burn into her face. Go down her neck and wrap around her back. Darwin would be proud.

“Second.”

“Second what?”

“Option.”

Pout.

He began to walk past her but she clung to his arm stopping him dead in his tracks. “Aren’t you forgetting something.” She raised her cheek. “Isn’t it ordinary to give your wife a kiss when you come home,” Her slender neck seemed to say.

“I was worried, you know…”

He pecked her on the cheek. “Is that fine?”

“I guess…”

She watched as he headed for the bathroom. What is wrong with that man… She raised a slender hand to the smooth skin of the side of her face. Compared to last time, you seem like a different person. What happened to when you held me so passionately, to when you guided my lips down… down… down…

Determined to not give up she joined him in the shower. “Is it alright if I wash your back?”

She gently scrubbed his thick wide back. He was tall and she was short. The soap trickled through her fingers and the sponge grated against her nails. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing her body close to his.

“Why won’t you talk to me!”

He flung around incredibly fast.

She looked up at him.

She slapped him. The sound echoed throughout the bathroom. “I’m sorry,” she said hurriedly, covering her mouth. “I didn’t mean to hit you so hard.” A round bruise was forming on his cheek.

He turned back around. She began scrubbing his back again. It was muscular and manly. She moved up and down his broad back in slow but firm strokes. She had a look of concentration on her face and when she was done she wiped the sweat from her hot forehead. Her delicate fingers squeezed the yellow porous sponge and sudsy water rolled down.

After the shower they were hungry and so they ate and after that they brushed their teeth before going to bed. Maybe most couples would sleep while cuddling and sometimes they did. This time though they slept with their backs against each other. They had unanimously done the same thing. Even so she took comfort in feeling the heat another person. When someone is at your back-that you can trust it feels somewhat like they're cradling your mind.

"Good night," she said.

Even though his reply was ordinary it sent her heart fluttering.

"Good night."