Here And Now

04. Maroon

I put on the last touches of my make up and look at my myself in the mirror.

I am wearing a royal blue silk slip dress, which fits on me like a glove, hugging the curves that motherhood gave me. I was always curvy, which was a base for my insecurities in my teen years but self love taught me otherwise.

Now, I often hit the gym from time to time but unlike 15 year old April who was doing it to impress her peers, I stay fit and healthy because it makes me happy.

Men love them curves, Mamacita.

I smile at the memory of my mom's words. Though, I have matured now that I never do anything for the approval of a man, she never got to know about this version of me.

There's a knock on the bedroom door before it opens.

"Holy Fuck, April. You...you look so gorgeous my love."

My heart melts at that. I was definitely overthinking. All marriages have ups and downs at every turning point, but me and Weston are a team. We are going to work through it together.

"You like it?" I smile at him shyly. I have always been a shy person when it comes to the bedroom.

But secretly, sometimes I just want my husband to hold me down and fuck the living daylights out of me whilst he calls me dirty names.

But alas, Weston has also been quite generic. And him being the only man I have ever been with, I'll have to say I lucked out. We have great sex.

"Oh, do I like it." He shuts the door behind him and walks toward me. On reaching me he slips his finger beneath the straps on my shoulder and whispers in my ear.

"While we have this chance, why not pregame a little bit."

♤

"...and I was like, Mr. Rhodes an open fireplace or a hearth would be an absolute nightmare for your cabin in the forest."

Weston laughs at that.

"What did the dude want to do? Set the whole place on fire?"

"I know!" I slap my hand on the table, laughing.

All my previous worries have wiped out. After our little romp in the bedroom earlier this evening before going out to eat, we dropped the kids off at Weston's parents house and came to Maroon for our date.

Maroon has been our place ever since we started dating. It's a nice chic restaurant that is casual enough for a brunch and fancy enough that I won't feel overdressed for wearing a dress like this.

"April..." Weston starts, tender love in his eyes as he clasps my right hand in his left.

"I am sorry for the way things have been these past couple weeks. I don't have any excuse and no excuse will be enough for what I have put my family through, but just know that you guys are always my first priority and I love you." The intensity in his eyes beg to me.

I slip my hand out of his.

"You have no idea how difficult it's been Weston-"

"You are right love, I kn-"

"I wasn't done speaking." I raise a brow at him. He simmers down.

"Just because we had sex this afternoon and one dinner does not compensate the troubles you have caused. You didn't just hurt me but our kids, West! Do you even realize how hurt Kayla has been?"

He looks down at the table in shame.

"You refused to go trick or treating with her, when it's been a tradition with you guys. Why? Because some emergency pulled up at the new office. Those things never happened at your old job."

"It's been a few hectic weeks trying to get more clients-"

"I do five house showings a day on average. Yet you don't see me making an excuse out of that, do you?"

I see the mocking in his before he shuts it down.

"You are right, there isn't anything I'll say that will make this right. But I promise to show it to you. Two date nights per week, I'll take Dexter out to fishing with me and my Dad and we'll do a family picnic next weekend."

I tolerate to tell him that Dexter is only two years old and doesn't quite like the idea of fishing, but refrain.

"There's a daddy-daughter dance at Kayla's school on-"

"Done."

"You didn't hear when."

"I said done, and I will be there."

I look at him, silently measuring this sudden change in him.

After all this time he picked today to clean the mess he's made.

What happened?

There's a niggling at the back of my mind but I cannot grasp it long enough to think.

"OK."

I hope this will all be okay.

♤