~Best of wives. Best of women.~

~chapter 8~

Alex put his glass of brandy down on the coffee table.

“So, every Monday you visit an orphanage?”

Eliza shook her head, putting down her own glass of honey colored wine.

“Everyday except Sundays and Saturdays”

Alex couldn’t help but admire her even more from this point forward. What an incredible woman, he thought. And he meant it, he really did.
As an orphan in the Caribbean, Alexander never really had a father figure, let alone a mother figure, to guide him or to even help him. And finding out the woman he loved, the future mother of his children, was actively filling out that motherly absence in the lives of so many children by voluntarily playing a role in not one, but multiple orphanages just filled him with an unexplainable joy that he couldn’t even describe to himself. His eyes couldn’t help but reflect the joy he was feeling in that moment, shining with lovesick glint.

“And what do you do?”

“I tutor children, I teach them English, I teach them how to read and write. I enjoy it, especially when it comes to finding them a home. If it was up to me I would just take them all with me!”

She positioned her arms as if she was cradling a child, but also as if she was hugging herself at the same time.

“It's painful to see them go, but at least they're in a much, much better place. Finally with a family and not strangers they had to accept into their lives one random day.”

"Isn't that the same thing?”

“No. A stranger is someone who knows you, a family is a group who loves you. And I love the children, I do, but I can never expect them to love me as much as they would an actual mother, or an actual mother figure. I teach them, I care for them, but I'm barely there for them. I'm a stranger because I'm only there when they need me, whereas a family is always there, always.”

He smiled. How lucky he was to be able to call this woman his.
“How come you're just telling me this?”

She shrugged, “I just never felt like it was important enough to talk about”

“Sweetie, anything you do and find joy in is important to me”

John, sitting next to Peggy on the same couch as Eliza, faked a gag and made a series of giggles erupt from Peggy. Alex rolled his eyes

“You're very sassy you know” Eliza smiled and sipped her wine, which caused Alex to roll his eyes again but this time with more humor behind the action.

“I can't be anymore sassy than you”

“Sassy? Me? Are you sure you haven't been talking to other women? I assure you you've mistaken me for someone else”

“Someone else? Dear, I know you like I know your handwriting. Did you know that you often forgot to sign your letters? I would have to go through every single letter I received, which would usually be weeks worth of letters, but the moment I saw your neat cursive lettering I knew it was from you. If anyone would know your ways, it would be me, so yes dear, sassy. You're very sassy.”

“Says the man who rolls his eyes at women”

“Only to you, my love.”

He sipped his drink again, looking intently at Eliza. She looked at the clock above the manors grand fireplace and got up.

“Well, I'll be on my way. I should be home by 12”

“Alright, dear. Be safe”

“Of course I will”
She pecked his cheek and walked out the door.
It took him about 5 seconds to realize that he actually didn't want to be without her and quickly made his way out the door behind her, almost bumping into the butler as he hurriedly made his way out to catch up with her.