I opened the door to find Alan looking too darn good with damp hair and a freshly-shaved face. He had on medium-blue Levi’s, the bluish-grey lace-up sneakers he’d been wearing all week, and the Henley I’d dumped cinnamon rolls on the first day we met.
“Good morning,” I said with a shy smile as I gestured to his shirt when he walked through the door. “I thought for sure that was ruined.”
He glanced down at the front, then looked up at me with a grin. “Nope. I just threw it in the washer, and it came out as good as new.” I could tell the moment he noticed Mama, because he leaned down and kissed my cheek, then said, “Hi, Carol. How are you this morning?”
He smelled clean, like soap and a hint of cologne, and I restrained myself from burying my face into his chest.
“I’m great, Alan, thank you. How are you?”
He glanced at me with a grin as he said, “Never better.”
A hint of a smile ghosted Mama’s lips, then she looked at me and said, “Have a nice day; I’ll see you later,” before turning and walking toward the kitchen.
A thought hit me, would Alan expect me to do his laundry once we were married? I know Mama washed, ironed, and folded my dad’s clothes, on top of all the other things she did to keep the house running.
I racked my brain thinking of all the ways we depended on my mom.
Oh my god. I don’t even know how to iron! I have no idea how to be a wife!
This felt like the perfect time to have a panic attack.
Alan’s brows drew together when he looked at me. Without a word, he reached down and picked up Ruthie’s diaper bag and put the strap over his shoulder before grabbing the car seat. Then he put his hand firmly on the small of my back and ushered me toward the door.
“Let’s go.”
****
Alan
I opened the rear passenger door and dropped the diaper bag on the floor then placed Ruthie in the backseat. But I didn’t bother to strap her in before reaching for Jessica and pulling her into my arms.
I took a deep breath, and she mimicked it. I did it again as I ran my hand up and down her spine. After a minute, I felt her body relax as she melted into me.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
She stiffened again at the question, and her shoulders shook before she bit out on a sob, “I’m going to be a terrible wife!”
“Aw, no you’re not. Why would you say that?”
“What if I ruin your clothes?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I laid my cheek against the top of her head.
“I’m going to need some context, sweetheart.”
“I don’t know anything about being a wife! I don’t even know how to iron!” she wailed.
“I’m a Marine, baby. I’ll do the ironing. Everything else, we’ll figure out together.”
“How? I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve never been married before!”
I hugged her tighter. “I’ve never been married before, either. But think about it, you’d never been a mom, and look how great you are at it.”
She huffed out a laugh as she pulled away and swiped under her eyes. “I don’t know aboutgreat…”
I wanted to reach for her again but put my hands in my pockets instead.
“I do. You’re amazing with Ruthie. You make everything look so easy. You want to talk about being worried… I’ll never measure up as a parent compared to you.”
