Page 13 of Falling Again
“The fashion show will have to wait, because now it’s bath-time,” Anthony said, hoisting Otis over his head and starting toward the stairs.
Madeline stomped her foot and crossed her tiny arms in front of her.
“But Daddy, Otis promised he’d wear my purple dress.” The offending garment now sat crumpled at Madeline’s feet.
Natalie extended her hand to her daughter and sighed. “Those boys. What can you do?” She winked and waited for Madeline to take her hand and follow her upstairs. It was the first bath-time in weeks that Anthony was involved in. Natalie hovered in the doorway to watch him in action. Seeing her husband perform his fatherly duties shouldn’t turn her on, but Natalie enjoyed the show.
Anthony played some Kidz Bop songs on his iPhone as he filled the tub. Madeline’s hair was a mess, but she sat on Anthony’s lap as he slowly brushed out the tangles. Otis was already in the tub, a collection of plastic toys bobbing in the water. He clearly enjoyed bath-time more than being a runway model for Madeline.
Looking up from his daughter’s hair, Anthony caught Natalie staring. He smiled again and gestured to the door. “Why don’t you go downstairs and relax? I’ve got this.”
The truth was, Natalie didn’t know if she wanted to leave. Not that Anthony needed her help, but she was enjoying this moment of domesticity.
“Are you sure?” she asked, not stepping back yet.
“Completely. Why don’t you open that bottle of red we got last month and find that new Netflix show everyone’s talking about?”
Natalie feared she misheard Anthony. “You want to watch TV with me?”
He shrugged, picking up Madeline and carefully placing her in the tub next to Otis. “Sure. If you don’t have anything else going on.”
Of course she didn’t have anything else going on, but suddenly her skin was too tight. “Okay,” she breathed, stepping back into the hallway. As she trailed into their bedroom, she heard the children laughing while Anthony sang a One Direction song at the top of his lungs.
Thirty minutes later, the kids were in bed, the bottle of red was open, and Natalie felt like a teenager getting ready for her first date. She’d attempted to fix her hair and applied a little makeup. Not too much that it was obvious, but enough that she didn’t look as tired as she was. Pinching some color into her cheeks, she went back to the kitchen in search of glasses for their wine.
By the time she was settled on the sofa, Anthony joined her. “Sorry that took so long. Apparently Maddie’s fashion sense goes as far as her pajama choices.” Hesitating in front of her, Anthony studied the cushions on the sofa. It was a sectional, and lately he’d been sitting as far to the right as he could. Tonight, however, he chose the spot right next to Natalie. She almost giggled with delight.
Throwing his arm over the back of the sofa, Anthony leaned in until their thighs touched. Yet again, her body reacted to the closeness of her husband. She almost cried with relief when Anthony didn’t pull back.
“Want to watch that new Korean show? When I saw CeCe this week, she said she and Evan binged it in two days.”
Anthony stifled a yawn but nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
Natalie clicked away on the remote until the show started, then she nestled into the cushions and Anthony’s side. Fifteen minutes into the show she realized they hadn’t drunk their wine. Leaning forward to get their glasses, Natalie heard a faint snore. Turning around, she saw Anthony’s head had fallen back and his mouth was open in sleep.
“So much for romance,” she sighed as she recorked the wine bottle. It was probably for the best. Between her glass at work and now, she’d have a headache the next day for sure.
The trouble was, Natalie would likely have a headache anyway—from disappointment. While it was only supposed to be a night of TV, it was a night they were planning on spending together. She knew Anthony was tired; he worked hard every day. She didn’t fault him for sleeping, but she wondered what it meant.
Was Anthony content with what their marriage had become? Did he see the cracks forming just under their feet, or was she alone? Perhaps she shouldn’t balk at the promise of a week away. If their marriage was on thin ice, they needed to make a move.
*
Anthony startled awake. He was draped in one of Otis’sStar Warsblankets, his neck at an unnatural angle. He was also still on the sofa.
Damn.
He’d had every intention of coming downstairs and savoring the night with Natalie. Even though they were merely watching TV, Anthony looked forward to their time together. Instead, he was still in his work clothes with a crust of drool on his mouth. “Nat?” He called out, knowing she was already in bed.
Pulling himself to standing, Anthony quietly walked upstairs. Before going to the master bedroom, he checked on the kids. Both were sound asleep, their snores fueling his soul. Carefully tiptoeing into the master bedroom, Anthony peeled off his clothes and tossed them in the hamper. He usually had a full nighttime routine, including a set of pajamas, but the thought of waking Natalie didn’t sit right with him. Instead, Anthony slid under the sheets in just his boxers.
The satin sheets felt cool on his skin, and Anthony craved the warmth of his wife. Leaning closer, Anthony reached out and draped his arm over her middle. Natalie made a noise, but instead of pulling away she folded back into his embrace. He almost whooped with delight.
As he lay there with Natalie in his arms, Anthony planned how he would make the night up to her. Natalie was no-nonsense and made it clear what she wanted, which was one of the reasons he fell in love with her. He knew she wanted bigger things than a trip to his parent’s lake house. She deserved trips overseas to expensive, exotic, locales. Fancy restaurants, shopping trips, and a spa day. At the very least, Anthony knew she’d love an anniversary party. Anthony vowed to make the lake house trip the best it could be. For all the magic he worked on the job, Anthony knew he needed to work the same magic for Natalie.
Eventually he fell asleep and woke the next morning to the feeling of Natalie plastered against his body. Anthony smiled when he realized their time cuddling hadn’t been a dream. Natalie’s usually tame hair was stuck to the side of her face and her mouth hung open. Glancing at the clock, Anthony saw he only had a few minutes before the alarm would sound.
Pulling Natalie flush against him, he breathed in her scent. Natalie always smelled like her expensive lemon shampoo. The citrus smell had quickly become Anthony’s favorite aroma. Anytime he’d have lemonade or eat one of CeCe’s famous lemon cakes, he couldn’t help but think of Natalie.
