A Happy Birthday?

Looking Forward

It's the day before his birthday.

Joe walks towards the door at home. He tries to leave the defeat aside. It's not fair to bring the challenges of work home and lay his failures at her feet. He pauses for a moment between closing the car door and opening the house door. He's worked so damn hard to get the bill written, oversaw all of the research, directed his team at every turn, he thought he had everything perfect, i's dotted and t's crossed and all of the pitfalls thought through but then, just when it was ready to be voted on in committee, disaster ...

He makes a conscious effort to stop his mind from spinning.

He's been over and over it for hours now, hours in the office, hours on the train, even for the few minutes in the car on the way from the station. But he won't bring his foul humor into the house. He'll leave the defeat outside because inside, his home is filled with brightness and beauty and love.

So.

Much.

Love.

He packs his bruised ego away, he'll go back Monday and figure out a way to make the bill even better. He turns his face to the sky and smiles. Just being in the proximity of his wife had cleared his negativity and made him strive for better. He puts his hand to the door and pushes it open.

The smell of fresh baking assails his nose, he detects her perfume too and his heart does a curious little flip in excitement.

He hears music, strains to listen; Have I Told You Lately That I Love You? The soft strains of the singer's voice float out to him from the kitchen and with it, now, he hears her singing too. He listens to the pad of her feet across the tiles and he knows she's barefoot as she approaches.

He moves towards her, expectantly.

She comes around the bend in the hallway.

She walks towards him and all he can do is stand and watch her. She is simply gorgeous.

In jeans and an old shirt of his tied with a simple knot just above her waistline she looks sensational. He knows that when he places his hands on her waist he'll feel the silky sheen of her soft skin beneath his palms and he feels a quiver run right through his body at the prospect.

Her smile lights up his whole world. She comes closer, he knows from her step, from the bounce of her body what she wants to do and he braces and holds his hands wide for her. She takes a little skip and jumps up into his waiting arms, she settles her thighs around his hips and locks her legs in place by crossing her ankles. Instinctively he slips his hands underneath her ass to hold her firm. She looks into his face and gently runs her hand across his brow.

She leans down.

'I think my Senator had a bad day', she whispers. 'And leading into his birthday weekend too. It's just not fair', she states, peppering his lips with kisses. 'Let me help to make it better', she tells him, grinning wickedly as she dips her face once more and finds his lips and kisses him with such fervor that every other thought leaves his mind immediately but for the sensation of her lips against his, the feeling of her ass in his hands and the innate joy of having her as his wife.

When they stop to catch a breath he cocks his head, realizing something is missing. 'Um, where are the kids?' he asks, feeling slightly guilty that it took him this long to notice their three children weren't anywhere nearby.

'At Val's', she says simply.

'They're on a sleepover until tomorrow, which, being your birthday, will be chaotic. Then we've got the whole family coming over Saturday. Then we've got to prepare for Nantucket, with three kids this time', she tells him, gazing into his eyes, the delight at the prospect of introducing their little girl to their annual tradition for the first time brings tears to both their eyes.