His embrace is comforting, but my round belly keeping him at a distance is annoying.
“I don’t know why I get so nervous.”
“I don’t either. Getting mad over this would solve nothing.”
“I know.”
“When did you flush it? How long ago?”
“Just the other day. I thought it would dissolve but they don’t. I didn’t find that out until after I did it.”
He puts his hands on my shoulders and turns me to face him. “Promise me, next time, you’ll tell me a little bit sooner thanthis. Please?”
My throat goes dry, so I nod and he kisses me before he meanders back toward the bedroom.
“At least now I know what I have to do. How long till dinner?”
I look back to the stove. “ Twenty minutes?” I guess. I’ve hardly started.
“Alright, I should be done by then.”
As I get back to the stove, I think about the exchange. I don’t know why I didn’t just tell him. He wasn’t even close to mad. He’s always soft and gentle with me. It’s like I’m waiting for him to snap or run out of patience. We’ve been married over a year now and he’s never even raised his voice at me.
The pasta is done. I strain it into the sink and dump it into the pot of sauce I have been slowly whisking.
Just as I reach to lower the heat, Jesse’s voice calls out to me.
“Ella Kate …”
My body tenses and my heart rate quickens. I turn to see Jesse enter the kitchen. Hands on his hips, he stops a few feet away from me.
“Sweetheart,” he warns gently.
“Honey …”
“Come here for a minute?” He gestures.
I follow him to the bathroom. It’s a mess—the toilet is lying on its side, and there’s some metal rod thing lying on a trash bag. He points to a wad of paper towels beside it and the pumice stone which I recognize. My jaw falls slack when I see it is way bigger than what I said.
“Babe, this is nowhere close to this.” He mimics my measurement with his fingers.
“I didn’t flush that,” I can barely say without laughing.
“You did.”
“I’m sorry.”
He sighs lightly, his blue eyes soft on mine. “You’re lucky I love you.”
“I’ll make it up to you,” I flirt.
“Yeah? Talk is cheap.”
“Well, lucky for you, what I have in mind doesn’t involve much talking,” I tease. “Frommeat least,” I add, spinning around on my heels out of the room.
His hand still manages to smack me in the butt. “Yeah? Well, it’s rude to talk with your mouth full anyway.”
My jaw drops and an involuntary laugh escapes me. I shake my head and continue back to the kitchen. I love that he’s still just as obsessed with me as he’s always been.
