Green Light

Exhausted she fell into her chair. Her arms and legs weak from the days rigorous agenda. More tired than hungry, she opted not to eat as that would require her to move more muscles. She closed her eyes and felt her tense body relaxing. Could she even make it to her bed? She pondered a short while and gave up on the notion of moving.

'There are not enough hours in the day.' She thought. She was afraid to speak or make any noise that may wake her teething baby that was finally asleep in the next room. 'Poor little thing cried for 5 hours straight until he passed out.' Her mind focused on her son. 'I had to bounce him and walk around the apartment for over 5 hours after being on my feet managing at the under-staffed restaurant for 10. I don't even have any strength to get a glass of wine. Teething was not this hard with our daughter.' She thought about her little girl and smiled. She just turned five and started kindergarten.

Her mind wandered to the first day of school. Her over-worked husband didn't wake up in the morning and she had to get her daughter ready while managing the baby. She frowned; and realized he wasn't home yet. She thought, 'He may still be working, having a drink with the guys, or cheating on me.' She snickered at the thought and whispered, "If he's cheating at least one of us is getting some."

She quietly winced in pain. Her arms had fallen asleep and she tried to move one. She still felt the weight of her teething child in her arms; her sleepy noodle stretched out arms. She hoped her husband was on his way home. 'Maybe he's bringing me home wine and chocolates.' She smiled again. This smile a little more drowsy. He's still at work - boring, tedious work. Being a junior accountant at a CPA firm, he got all the problem accounts that needed extra attention, so he lived at work.

Half awake she focused on her thoughts. she pictured her husband in a torn flowing shirt on a pirate ship with beautiful wind kissed hair...no. She shook her head. He was a rich man walking into a ball in a $12,000 suit... no way. She furrowed her brows. He was her best friends older brother...better yet; he was her best friend. They were born to best friends, on the same day, in the same hospital. Too much back story. OK. They were best friends and had been for a long time. She had always loved him but...

He was distraught because his girlfriend dumped him and she was trying to console him. They were going to get ice cream at their favorite place. They were stopped at a light and were talking and she wanted to tell him how she felt about him. She knew she had to tell him quick before he found another girlfriend. She touched his arm and he looked toward her. She was getting ready to tell him how much she liked him and even loved him but the driver behind them honked his horn. The red had turned to a green light. He stepped on the gas to go and she turned to look out the window silently holding in her feelings for him and wanting to yell them to him. 'That might scare him.' she thought. She loved to prolong the first kiss. It always had to be a magical moment.

She heard a noise from the kids' bedroom and promptly opened her eyes. 'No! Stay asleep! I wanna know what happens next!'

The baby whimpered in his sleep and sucked on his thumb. Then there was silence.

'Where was I?' she thought. 'Oh yes.' She closed her eyes. In her land of fantasy she had forgotten about the pain in her body or the need for wine.

Right. The green light stopped her from confessing her love.

They pulled into the parking lot. He jumped out and walked around the car to open her door. She got out of the car and smiled at him. 'Tell him now!' her inner monologue yelled. She stepped out, tripped and fell into his arms. He held her tight so she wouldn't fall and she looked up deeply into his eyes. She held her breath. He bent down and came in close to her and gently pressed his lips onto hers.

She clenched her chair and started making kissing movements with her mouth.

"Babe, I'm home." Her husband quietly came through the door. He knew where she would be. "I brought you some wine."

Of course.

She opened her eyes, slowly made her way out of her chair and walked to the kitchen where her husband was opening the bottle for her.

"Thank you honey." She hugged him tightly and went in for her movie ending kiss and smiled. She thought, 'This is way better than a fantasy.'