Silent Eyes

You'd think by now I would have my entire life figured out, but quite frankly, I don't. Not even the slightest. People may think I have the perfect life: amazing husband, two beautiful kids, and a job that returns a lot of income for me to do whatever the hell I want. Appearances are deceiving, though. 

I took off my glasses and put them down on the table, wiping away the tears from my eyes, putting the bill for my student loan down. I was never going to finish paying this off. I was already $500,000 in debt with them. My monthly payments were high. I had to pay the impossible. Did they not know that I was going to have kids someday that I had to feed? I almost gave up my entire paycheck. My stomach rumbled at the stress overwhelming me in the moment. I drank wine from a cheap box that was next to me. It was the fanciest I could drink. 

I got up and went to check on my kids, the twins sleeping in the room. Just like I thought. Emma and Bowie were asleep, snuggling next to each other. I smiled and silently closed the door. I went back to my room and changed into my vintage light blue nightgown. The gown is composed of a sheer top layer over an opaque nylon under layer. The bodice is sheer chiffon with lace and faux pearl decorations.  I took off my daily hair braid just like I was used to having. My black waves cascaded to my shoulders. I went on to my bed and laid down and thought of all my problems in my life until my husband came and interrupted my thoughts. 

"It's 2 in the morning. What are you doing up, amor?" 

I smiled as he said the word 'amor' with his accent. I got up and hugged him tightly. "Waiting for you, what do you think?" 

He kissed me gently on my lips and then on my forehead. "I love you, Ximena."

Those words took me back to the time we first met. We met at a psychology course at the university in our freshmen year. Both of us were lost and clueless in a foreign city and state. At first I was embarrassed and shy for someone as handsome as an american guy like him to be talking to a conservative, Mexican-American woman like myself. After lecture we both went to get lunch and got to know each other. We came to find out that we both stayed in the same dormitory building. Since then, for a year, we made it a custom to do homework together. It was April fools in our sophomore year when he asked me to be his girlfriend. At first I was upset and confused as to why he asked me to be his girlfriend that day. But now that we celebrate April Fools we laugh. In fact, he proposed to me in that day, and we even got married in that time of the year. We call it "April Fools romance". To this day, I ask myself why a handsome FBI agent asked a boring, ugly dentist to be his wife. I know he dearly loves me just like I love him, my Kian. Now we are happy together with a family. Well, I'm almost happy.

I watched him as he got undressed in the bathroom and went to bed in nothing but briefs. 

"How was work?" I asked as I looked up the black ceiling. 

"Tiring and aggravating. We are so far away from figuring out who this man is." 

"The drug cartel that traffics girls?" 

He sighed. "Yes." 

I turned over to him and put my head on his bare chest. He cuddled me tightly next to him. 

"It's almost the twins birthday." He said. 

I bit my lip, dissapointed at how I had forgotten that date. With everything going on in my life, I had forgotten my own children's birthday. 

"Yep, this weekend." 

"Babe, you say it like the weekend is in a week. The party is tomorrow. Tomorrow is Saturday. You sent the invitations weeks ago." 

I didn't say anything. 

"You forgot?" 

"...yeah, but I'll put it together before the guests begin arriving. I'll leave the kids at my sisters house and she'll bring them over to surprise them."