“It’s a shame she has to work two jobs.”
“She doesn’t have to, Mom. Josie needs help today, that’s all.” Something tells me my mother doesn’t believe me, but whatever. Katelyn and I are managing to stay afloat. So, what if we live off a budget? Someday, we won’t have too. Someday, the girls will have everything they’ve ever wanted.
“Are you and Dad doing anything tonight?”
“Valentine’s Day is a made-up holiday, Mason. You should show Katelyn how much you love her every day.”
“Geesh, Mom. I am. You don’t even know why I asked.”
She laughs and picks Peyton up and sits down next to me. “You’re asking because it’s the 14th and you want to show your wife a nice evening.”
I smile and look away. She’s good at figuring me out. “It’s just we haven’t really been alone since the twins were born, and it would be nice to have some private time.” Telling your mom you want to wine and dine your wife is a topic of conversation I never want to have, yet here I am, asking my parents to take the girls for the night, or at least for few hours so I can properly love up on my wife.
“I hope you’re being safe, Mason. The last thing the two of you need is another baby right now.”
My head shakes back and forth so fast, I swear it’s going to come off. “Not until they’re at least five and in kindergarten, and yes, we are very careful.”
“As much as I love being a grandma, I’m happy to hear it.” She brings Peyton close to her face and they touch noses. “I want to enjoy the girls for a little bit.”
“Us too. So, for a couple of hours tonight, you free?”
She nods. “We’ll keep them overnight.”
It’s an odd feeling, standing in our living room, surrounded by family photos, throw pillows, and toys, under complete silence. Normally, the television is on or the girls are in one of their chairs and Katelyn is singing along to the radio while she’s cooking dinner. Even at night, the static from the baby monitor fills our bedroom with background noise.
I don’t know what to tackle first, but I have a list in my head. As I look around, I realize the flowers I bought Katelyn in Allenville are still in my truck, so I run out to get them. Any other time, I’d get a bouquet from Josie, but I want Katelyn to be surprised when she comes home. Of course, the trip to Allenville brought up a crap ton of memories from when what’s his face and I were best friends. The trouble we used to get in, the Beaumont Police Chief would call the Allenville Chief. We used to be certain they had some side deal going on. Not that it mattered because
Beaumont High always prevailed over AVHS. When you have the best and most sought after quarterback playing for you, it sort of gives you an edge.
Along with her flowers, I grab the bag of groceries I picked up. Tonight, we’re going to have steak and potatoes, then share a slice of pie from the bakery. I’m not much of a cook, at least in the kitchen. For whatever reason though, I can grill like I’m some master chef.
First things, first. I’m going to clean the house. It takes me about twenty minutes to find all of Katelyn’s cleaning supplies, mostly because I’m enthralled by the yellow gloves I found under the sink. They’re tight and very constricting, but I see her wearing them all the time, so they must be needed. With the radio on a country station – not my favorite to listen too – I get to work. I’ve never understood how so much time can pass while cleaning until now, and I get why it can take all day to clean the house. It makes complete sense why Katelyn has a schedule. She cleans the bathroom on Saturdays, vacuums the floors and does the dishes nightly, and the kitchen floor is mopped on Sunday nights after we’ve all gone to bed. She says she likes to wake up on Monday morning to a sparklingly floor, and for all I know I’m probably screwing it up.
Once the living room and dining room are done, I take on the bathroom. It looks clean, but . . . sex earlier. So, I spray, scrub and scour, and when I’m done, I use her lipstick to leave a message on the mirror. Katelyn will definitely love this!
My final room is our bedroom. I change our sheets, tuck in the corners, make our bed, and fluff the pillows like I’ve seen her do numerous times. I also pick up my dirty clothes and start a load of laundry. It takes me about twenty minutes to figure out how to use our washer, though. In college, I’d dump my bucket, add some detergent and quarters and come back a day or so later, praying my clothes were still there. Things were much easier when Katelyn and I lived with Josie and Noah because the women did my laundry for me.
With the house clean, I start to decorate with the bag of rose petals the florist sent home with me. When I told her what I was doing, she suggested scattering rose petals on the floor and showed me a picture from one of her magazines. The concept is great, but I have a feeling my execution will be subpar at best. Nonetheless, I’ve made sure there’s a trail to the bedroom, but none on the bed. I don’t want my ass stained red.
Finally, dinner. I’m not ashamed to admit I asked my mom for directions on how to cook the perfect steak in the oven, and by the aroma coming from the kitchen, I have to say I think I did pretty damn good.
As the sun sets and the sky turns darker, I pace until I hear the rumble of my truck coming down the road. I dim the lights, pick up the vase of flowers, and then set it down. Maybe I should pose or take off my shirt? No, she’d laugh and bust my ego. The vase it is. I pick it up and hold it close to my chest. The door from our breezeway opens slowly, and she turns on the lights to our dining room before she’s fully in the house.
She gasps and covers her mouth. Her eyes go wide as she takes me in, and a smile forms. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” I say to her as she comes closer.
Katelyn touches one of the roses delicately and bends to inhale its scent. “Mason,” she says my name softly. “I thought—”
“I know what we agreed upon,” I say, cutting her off, “but you deserve this. Everything you do for the girls and me, this is the least I could do. Someday, I’ll be able to do so much more. I can’t wait to take you on a lavish vacation where we do nothing but sit around on a beach all day, sipping drinks with paper umbrellas while basking in the sun.”
“Sounds amazing.”
I set the flowers down and pull her into my arms. “It will be. Our dreams will come true. We’re just taking the long way around instead of a shortcut.”
“I love our life, Mason. I don’t care if we didn’t follow the plan. We did things our way, and the girls are an added bonus. Speaking of, where are my children?”
I can’t help but smile as I lean down and kiss my wife. “My parents are keeping them overnight with the caveat that we don’t create any more children tonight.”
Katelyn steps away from me and puts her hands up. “You keep your baby maker far from me, mister.”