I furrowed my eyebrows. There was something implied in Emma’s statement.
“What do you mean sheneedsit?”
“Just what I said. But don’t fret, more will be revealed. You just need to layoff the bullying and act like an actual husband instead of CEO and taskmaster of this house. Leave that at the office.”
And in the blink of an eye, Emma was gone. I was left staring at an empty office save for the furniture and work equipment. I went over to the cabinets that were pressed along the far wall, opening them to reveal the multiple screens. I hit the power button, turning the monitors on. Each monitor showed a different room in the house. I pressed the touchscreen monitor, zooming in on the screen that focused on our bedroom. I ran my finger lightly over the outline of Patience as she laid asleep in our bed. Each morning, I’d done the same thing. First checking on the children to see if they were asleep or not, savoring the idea of just having them under the same roof as me. Next, I let my spying linger on the master bedroom, watching Patience as she rose each morning and went about her morning routine of yoga followed by some journaling before going to check on the children. In the month they’d been there, I’d lost count of the number of times I’d jerked off to the sight of her first thing in the morning.
I hit the power button again, turning the cameras off and shutting the cabinet doors. I needed to get some work done. I went over to my desk, sitting down and preparing to work the rest of the afternoon, well into the evening.
****
Patience
“Mommy, let’s do ring around the rosie!” Kennedy giggled as we played in her bedroom. It was close to eight-thirty at night and I was playing with the kids for a little while before I put them down to bed. Aaron still hadn’t emerged from his downstairs office, even at six for dinner. I forced myself not to think about what that meant, though the twinge of rejection I felt from him still hurt, especially after what happened that morning between us.
“Join us Kyle,” I insisted, grabbing him by the hand as he sat on Kennedy’s bed. Though the two had separate bedrooms, they were always in one another’s rooms. They may have had very different personalities and likes but their closeness couldn’t be denied.
“I’ll start,” Kennedy began. “Riiing around the rooosie,” she sang and all three of us began moving in a circle, our hands clasped.
“We all fall down!” we all shouted in unison, falling to the floor and giggling. It was such a silly little game but Kennedy couldn’t get enough of it and seeing her joy always made me laugh.
“Daddy!” Kyle shouted, getting off the floor and running in the direction of the door.
“Daddy!” Kennedy squealed, following behind her brother.
I slowly turned to watch them as they ran up to their father, hugging his long legs, as they couldn’t reach his waist just yet. My heart caught in my throat when he stooped lower, enfolding his arms around both children and coming to stand with them at his sides. The scowl on his face softened as he stared at his children. I had to avert my eyes, hating the way it made my heart rate quicken, and the yearn in my body it caused to grow. Not just for his physical touch but for that look. There was a time I saw that same softening cross his face when he gazed upon me. I remembered the first time it happened.
****
Then
I hurried into my favorite bookstore, shaking off the snow that had accumulated on my hood, and stomping my feet. “Hi, Sam!” I greeted the ever-present bookstore clerk.
He lifted his head and smiled. “Hey, Patience.”
“Have you got it?”
“Your signed copy of a first editionHarry Potter?” His face slowly morphed into a grin. “You betcha!”
I laughed out loud, going over to the check-out counter. Sam lifted the book from the shelf behind him. The book had been earmarked especially for me. I’d ordered it weeks prior and was all too giddy when I got the phone call from Sam that it’d finally arrived.
I opened the front cover and smiled wide when I saw author’s signature.
“You’re going to enjoy reading that.”
I lifted my head, having half-forgotten all about Sam. “It’s not for me.”
His face contorted into one of confusion and surprise.
“It’s for the kids at the library where I tutor. One of the kids, actually. He had so many problems reading, that I promised him when he finished his first book, I’d get him an autographed copy. A little bribery never hurt anyone,” I laughed, as did Sam.
He stared at me for a few seconds.
I shifted from one foot to the other. “What’s the total on that?”
“Oh.” He jumped as if remembering he was at work. “That’ll be fifty-five even.”
“Really? An autographed copy of a first edition of Harry Potter, I would’ve thought it’d be more expensive than that. I’m not arguing though,” I laughed again. I dug out my bank card to pay for the book and just as Sam took it my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. Pulling out my phone, the widening of my smile and the fluttering in my chest at the name of the caller couldn’t be helped. “Hey,” I answered breathlessly, walking away from the register for a little privacy.
