The Perfect Wife

Dinner For Two.

Margo sat at the dining room table still in shock, for the first time in her life she didn't know what to expect, but she decided than and there that she would be strong as she could for her own sanity.

There had to be some way out of this town and she was determined to find her way out, whether it took days, weeks and even years. Margo planned to be on her best behavior, play the role as she is expected too and gain everyone's trust. Her first task at pretending to be a perfect wife was making dinner, from the small calendar on the wall she saw that tonight's meal was "meatloaf" night.

Not use to her surroundings, she was opening and closing all the cupboards and drawers till she found a red bowl, some measuring cups and a wooden spoon. Margo had the least idea how to make a meatloaf, so she set off to find a cook book with a recipe that would help her out.

A few minutes of flipping through cook books she found a recipe that peaked her interest. Ten minutes now have passed and she was on the last step of completing The Perfect Meatloaf, Margo was pleasantly surprised how quick and easy it was coming together.

Margo was done making her meatloaf and it was finally time to place it in the oven. To complete her dinner she decided to make mashed potatoes, something that was simple and that she was use to making. The thought of peeling potatoes made her miss her father, whenever they had made dinner together, peeling the potatoes was his job.

The clock struck 4:30 and Margo decided to fix the red circles around her eyes. She didn't have the slightest clue on how to use the makeup that was in the bathroom, using cosmetics was never her forte but she made herself look presentable enough to pass as a happy wife.

Finally time to take the meatloaf out of the oven, she mashed the potatoes and had the table set and ready for a man she was dreading to meet. She wondered what he looked like and if he was nice, mean maybe even funny. Regardless she knew he wouldn't be half the man Harvey was. Margo rarely felt nervous, but sitting at the table with a meal she just cooked for a man she didn't know made her sick to her stomach.

The door opened slowly and her heart began to beat rapidly, it was time for her to act like the perfect housewife she had been studying about for the past couple hours, she got to her feet and smiled the most fake smile she could and greeted him at the door.

"Hello there." He extended his hand out to hers.

"Welcome home." She tried to smile the best she could. "Can I take your coat?" She asked without making eye contact, she didn't want to look at him. "Dinner is all ready."

"Yes, thank you. My names Mark by the way, you  must be...Margo. Forgive me for staring, but wow. Your breathtakingly beautiful." His face was well structured, he looked like a perfect male model with gorgeous blonde hair and seductive blue eyes.

Even if it wasn't the right man, it had felt like forever since she was called beautiful. "Thank you...sir?"

"No no, please just call me Mark. Smells divine in here, is that meatloaf I smell?" He asked walking towards the kitchen.

"Yes it is, I hope you enjoy it." She smiled politely.

They both sat down opposite one another and she served both their plates, she didn't want to talk but assumed the "Perfect" wife thing to do was make dinner conversation.

"So, where do you work?" She asked while cutting into her meatloaf.

"I am an engineer at the local power plant here in Milwood." He smiled. "This is great, I haven't had a hot meal in so long."

"Thanks, I used a recipe." She didn't realized just how hungry she was till her first bite of mashed potatoes and warm gravy.

"Well it turned out lovely." He put his fork and knife down and wiped his mouth with the napkin he had draped over his lap. "Listen, I'm a nice man and I want you to know that, regardless the predicament were in right now, I am always here to talk. I can understand perfectly what your going through, though there is probably nothing I can say to make you feel better, Just know I am here. Day and night. I don't want to.. Pressure you into anything you don't feel comfortable doing."

Margo could feel tears again coming, and she couldn't bring herself to cry in front of a man she barley knows so she got up to go to the bathroom. "Excuse me."

Mark felt horrible, he was born into this life and though he knew how Margo got here, he didn't know what to say to his new so called wife without being truthfully honest. He s followed her to bathroom where he knocked on the door quietly.

"Margo, can I come in?" He asked softly.

"If you must." She whispered.

Mark entered the bathroom and saw her sitting on the floor crying. He didn't know what else to do but sit with her and be brutally honest.

"I was born here. My mom, she was like you.. Stolen from her life." He reseed his head back towards the bathroom sink cabinet.

"I'm sorry.." Margo finally made eye contact with him for the first time. "Have you.. Ever tried to leave?"

"That's impossible, they have security around this town 24/7.  I've thought about it though, every single time my mom would cry.. It broke my heart, I just wanted to make her happy. Than one day I realized, her perfect world wouldn't involve me.." He hadn't talked about his mother in a long time, it felt unnatural to him. "I was 12 when I found her.."

"Mark, I'm so sorry. She reached to grab some tissue for the both of them. Here." She handed it to him.

"Thanks. I'm telling you this because I don't want you to think I don't understand what your going through, because I do. But if we're going to be living together as a married couple, we're going to have to communicate and give this thing a try. It will make everything a lot easier." Mark slowly got off the ground and extended his hand out to her. "You don't have to say anything, this is a lot to take in. But I say for now, let's finish dinner?"

"Okay." She slowly exhaled and put her hand out to his.

Margo couldn't understand her feelings, she was very relieved that Mark was nice and understanding but her new life was incredibly hard to adjust to. She couldn't help but think there was something she could do to get out of this place, perhaps tomorrow she would try her first adventure out of the house to the market and get familiar with her surroundings.