Love Notes

Rebecca's Decision

Rebecca rubbed her temples and squinted at the rows and rows of light fixtures. She couldn't decide which ones she wanted for her master bathroom. She was almost ready to give up. Finally she grabbed the ones on the highest shelf, knowing that she would probably change her mind as soon as she put them up. She didn't care though. She was just ready to get home.

It had been a long day for Rebecca. She woke that morning in a funk and sat in the bathroom, trying to muster up the energy to get ready for work. But the idea for dealing with idiots all day at the bank sounded completely unbearable. Finally she decided she wasn't going. Instead she would remodel her bathroom.

It wasn't a completely spontaneous decision. She had been wanting to change it up for a while. Might as well be today. Out with the old, in with the new, she thought to herself. So she put on some old yoga pants, turned her music on blast, and got to work.

She knew what she was really doing...trying to busy herself with home improvement so she wouldn't think about HIM. And it worked for a while. She slapped a fresh coat of paint up, changed out the hardware and put up the new towels, candles and decorative items she'd found on Amazon. Looking around her new bathroom, she began to feel better about things. Until her third trip to Village Hardware that is...

Rebecca got into line of the only register open. She studied her light fixture choice for a moment, feeling indecisive. Finally she looked up and noticed who was a couple of people ahead of her in line. It was him...Alex...and HER.

Her heart dropped. Of all the fucking places to be, she thought to herself. Frantically, she looked around for a quick escape. The last thing she needed was to have another confrontation with Alex's insane wife. 

The only exit was ahead of them, killing her chances of sneaking out without being seen. Dammit.

She had no choice but to stay put and watch them, her heart in her throat. They were engrossed in conversation. They seemed so at ease with each other. As they chatted, he slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close and whispering something in her ear, causing her to giggle and push him away playfully.

Rebecca felt as though she was falling head first down a well. These last couple of weeks, she'd gotten through by telling herself that their "marriage" had to be fake. It wasn't that she didn't think Alex could love someone like her. Truthfully, Norma was exactly the type of woman that would capture his heart...bold, fearless, sexy. No...it wasn't Norma.

It was Alex who she'd always believed was incapable of loving ANYONE. It took a certain amount of tenderness to utter the words I love you. He just didn't have it.

But now...seeing the way he was gazing at her was the most painful wake up call she'd ever received. Whatever the reason for their quickie marriage, it certainly wasn't fake. Any fool could see that he was completely in love with her.

Alex chose that moment to glance behind them. Panicking Rebecca hurried to turn her head but it was too late. When he saw her, he froze. His smile faded as their eyes met. He gave her an awkward nod and turned to face the front.

Norma noticed her husband's sudden stiffness. Confused, she looked back and caught Rebecca in her sights. A look of understanding crossed over her pretty face. Rolling her eyes, she turned back around, but not before giving Alex a quick glance to gauge his reaction.

Maybe she didn't like what she saw because she stepped away from him. Uncomfortably they stood side by side, eyes facing front. Rebecca couldn't help but to feel satisfied with the awkwardness she had caused them.

But her satisfaction didn't last long. After a moment, Alex reached to put his arm back around his wife's waist and pull her close.  Sweetly, he nuzzled her cheek and whispered in her ear again. Whatever he said eased her tension. She smiled at him. Although they weren't very close to her, Rebecca heard Norma's response loud and clear.