Temporary Secretary

Part 30

I would've preferred finishing up the remainder of this arc before moving! Ah well. I'd suggest re-reading part 29 as it may flow a bit better.

24 April 1981

4:00pm Friday

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You didn't end up getting groceries Monday afternoon. You just didn't have the energy.

You'd returned before Paul did, but upon your arrival, all you could do was shower, before promptly falling into bed. Unusual considering your history of insomnia, but by that point, you were exhausted, and too dizzy to do much else.

You slept through the night, only being awoken by your Tuesday morning alarm. Still grumbly and sluggish, you'd then left for work.

Paul must've come home sometime in the evening, but you'd been well under by that point. Thankfully, he hadn't come in to wake you.

What remained of the week went by rather similarly to that.

Between Paul's work schedule (which you were familiar with), and your immediate exhaustion upon arrival, the times you were both cognisant and in the house didn't have much overlap.

Fine enough, you supposed. It was better that way, no conflict. As there was no time to, the conflict of Monday hadn't ended up being revisited.

Perhaps too, he'd noticed your error that day, the distraction causing you to forget your breakfast. Likely not something he wanted to risk again, as paranoid of your physical state as he clearly was.

Instead, if you did come across one another in the mornings, it was simple pleasantries. You wouldn't stay long, and he'd leave not soon afterward.

You weren't quite sure when it was Paul got back, but if it was like what you remembered, his day would sometimes last well into the evening, or even the night.

It'd go longer than that if you had sex. And you often did have sex. That was something to look forward to at the end of the day.

Regardless... conflict was avoided for the time being. Things progressed easily on that front.

But not so much at work.

Rather than just be a harder day, Monday seemed to set the precedent going forward. It was getting harder to carry on in the office.

As much as you hated the thought of it, maybe it would truly be in the kid's best interest.

You were pushing yourself to a breaking point, and for what? Your own pride?

Wasn't it your resolve that you were at a point where you had to put aside your own selfishness, another life on the line.

That was your old fashioned idea anyway, but you remembered what it was like being younger. The child didn't ask to be born, or have a say in the circumstances of its conception. It was your child, and you would do whatever it took to offer it comfort and security.

You didn't want to be a meek homemaker, never wanted to be, but evidently that was the hand you were dealt. A housewife, yet not even that. Without the wife bit, even though that was your own decision. Paul seemed up for it, even if it was just his old fashioned sense of duty.

Hell, it could be worse. At least Paul was willing. If resentment built, or it didn't work out, you could just do what your original plan was anyhow, and move in with your father until you could get back on your feet. You'd have to take off during the recovery period anyway.