Page 62 of Courageous Yearnings

Sure, they had moments that were tough. Her sweet husband could be just as stubborn as her. He insisted they needed a four-hundred-dollar pellet grill and she said no – only to find out it was already assembled on the back porch. A week later, he was talking about replacing the carpet since she had a large bonus check coming in, and they had argued about that, too.

The man was always wanting to improve the house, spending money, and trying to impress her – and none of it was necessary. It wasn’t until she was so frustrated that she’d yelled it at him, that they both realized they’d crossed a line.

“I’m sorry, Boop,” he said brokenly. “I just want our home to be everything you could possibly imagine – and when we start to have a family, I want them to feel like our ‘nest’ is special too. I love what we have, but I do see small things that I want to make better, and I’m sorry.”

“Dang it, Lance,” she rasped, sighing and near tears. “I don’t want to argue or fight with you… especially when I want the same things. I’m commission. The money ebbs and flows. Sometimes, I have a massive bonus check, and other times it’s going to be enough to eat ramen for five days straight. I emptied my savings to buy this place. The bill for the bedroom furniture came in, the hospital bills are starting to arrive – it’s all just a lot, and I need a second to breathe.”

“Shhh,” he began, immediately walking toward her and enveloping her in his arms. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about any of that – and maybe we should look at the bills together so I know more about what’s going on. I mean, I get my check and go to pay the truck payment only to see you already mailed it off.”

“I’m a bit controlling…” she muttered, burying her face against his chest.

“Nah, you are pretty awesome, but that is why I bought the grill. I thought we were good.”

“We are, but it doesn’t last, and I need that security blanket.”

“Now that I can appreciate,” he smiled, turning her face toward him. “I saved my first three months of paychecks when I left the orphanage and slept on a buddy’s couch to avoid paying rent, because I needed the same financial cushion you are referring to.”

“Can we give it six months to a year before we do anything else major? Or at least can we talk about it first?”

“Deal,” he breathed, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. That had been a turning point in their marriage, realizing that neither was alone anymore. It wasn’t just a partner in the bedroom, emotionally or physically but planning for the future, finances, and making decisions together was a big step.

“You can have my one drink tonight, too,” she offered, getting back to the moment at hand. “And yes, we’ll sit in front of ‘Duane-the-Pain’ and his wife, ‘Electric Barbarella.’”

“Oh?” Lance perked up at the nickname she’d dubbed the woman the first time she met her.

“I shouldn’t have said that…”

“You gotta tell me now…”

“You have to promise not to laugh, stare, or make a comment.”

“It’s that bad?”

“Yes.”

“Then I make no promises…”

“Lance!”

“What? I’m not going to ever lie to my wife, and if it’s that bad – do you know how hard that’s gonna be not to comment on whatever is wrong with the woman?”

“Look, she’s different. Her name is Barbara and...” Blythe took a deep breath and pointed at him. “You’ve got to promise me you’ll be on your best behavior… please.”

“For you – yes. I’ll try.”

“Ughhh,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes. “Why am I almost sure that I’m going to regret telling you?”

“Obviously, I’m going to find out in about… oh, thirty minutes?” he grinned, looking at an imaginary watch that he didn’t have on his wrist yet.

Blythe glared at him.

“Spill it, Betty Boop…”

“Barbara had a facelift, Botox, and a lot of work done last year… a lot. When you mix that with the fact that she has zero expression, almost no eyebrows, and looks plastic with all that foundation…”

“Well my, my, my Blythe Cortes… you are a wretched little fiend when it comes to nicknames,” he chuckled smugly and grinning from ear to ear. “Electric Barbarella indeed. What a brilliant moniker, and I’m not sure I would have thought of it.”

“I’m probably going to hell for it one of these days…”

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