The Best Years

3

"Hey, you guys are supposed to get a break Friday, right?" Holland asked her husband as she entered the kitchen of their home.

"Yeah, guess they decided we've been locked away long enough we deserve some time off, even if it's only letting us go a few hours early. Why?"

"No reason, it's just been a while since we had a date night thought I might could set something low key up for us here. You in?"

"Yeah baby, that sounds nice." He told her, turning away from the counter where he was making himself toast and wrapping his arms around her.

His head nuzzled in the crook of her neck, his breath hot against the top of her shoulder as he kissed the tanned skin there.

"You gonna have a big day?" He asked her, settling into their morning routine of discussing their plans for the day.

"Just working with the girls and then a few new girls are coming to work out and see if they like the gym."

"No one you're excited about?"

"I mean, don't get me wrong they're good gymnasts with the potential to be great but they aren't my girls and they never will be. I've taken on five littles but as much as I believe in them none of them strike me as having the spark and love for the sport as I did when I was their age. I want to build Olympians. I want to be a gym and coach that is taken seriously and I don't think I'm there yet. I know we're still a young gym but I thought by our second full season we'd be a bit more established and I would feel more like I knew what the fuck I was doing." She said, immediately feeling a wave of relief as one set of her problems came out in her word vomit.

"Holls." He said, his voice a bit of a whine as he drug out her pet name. "You are a fantastic coach. Some of those girls came to you with great skills but no confidence or personality. Everyone of them now walks into that gym with their head held high and that's a testament to you. They look up to you so much and that's admirable. You're molding them into good people, and that will stick with them long after they take the mat for the last time."

"How do you always know what to say?" She asked him, leaning in to him and brushing her nose past his.

"I am an expert on Holland Mayfield Hood. They should give me a degree or something." He joked and she just had to laugh.

"You're stupid is what you are." He smirked and grabbed for her waist his fingers digging into her sides as he pulled her closer and joined their lips together. The kiss was playful and sweet, full of affection and Holland hated that it had to end. They each had jobs to get to however so they grabbed their bags, overrun Duke a pet and kiss from each of them as they walked out to the garage.

"Have a good day, I love you!" Calum called out to her as he slid behind the wheel of his Range Rover.

"I love you!" She called back to him, filing into her own drivers seat.

Holland watched the clock all day, counting down what felt like every minute until she finally called the girls in for their debriefing after their final run throughs.

"Alright ladies, that was a good practice! You've all worked so hard and I know you'll represent both yourselves and Valley gymnastics well in the LA open tomorrow. I'm so proud of everything you've achieved in this past off season and I can't wait to see you guys shine. Go home, eat a good dinner and get some rest. I'll see you here at seven tomorrow morning to load the bus, don't be late. Have a good night."

"You think they're ready for tomorrow?" Lexi asked her quietly as the last of the girls trickled out of the gym.

"As ready as they're going to be." Holland shrugged.

"Follow your own advice tonight, okay? Something good for dinner and rest!"

"Haha, I'll try." She laughed. "But I've got a surprise for Calum first."

"You kids have fun!" Lexi smiled, her bag slung across her shoulder as she headed for the exit. Holland wasn't far behind her. She made the drive home quickly, her excitement to put her plan into action making her foot a little heavy on the accelerator.

She breezed through the doorway of their home, stopping to greet Duke who yipped at her feet.

"Come on buddy." She told him, walking down the long hallway that led to the master bedroom.

What to wear, what to wear. Holland thought you herself as she rifled through the hanging garments in her walk in closet.

She could go classy and simple, a dress that was dressed up enough for a "date" but still comfortable enough for the plans she had for them at home.

She could go sexy, a slip dress that allowed her lingerie to peek out was sure to be Calum approved, but she didn't know if that was the most fitting for what she had planned.

She pulled an option for each and laid them out, Calum wasn't due home for over an hour so she didn't need to decide quite yet.

The real task would be making dinner. Calum's favorite dish at the moment was a homemade mushroom ravioli she had made only twice that he always talked about. It was time consuming to make and she hadn't been able to in months. She'd saved herself some time by making the pasta the night before after Calum had gone to bed.

Gathering her ingredients she set about making the pasta filling as Duke eyed her carefully from his dog bed. She tossed him a piece of cheese and he munched happily on his treat.

When all of her raviolis has been stuffed and placed in the refrigerator to rest she moved to the dining room, pulling out a table cloth they never used and setting the table with the dishes they'd received for their wedding that rarely saw the light of day. A few candles, unlit for now, finished her setting and a glance at the clock showed that Cal should be home any minute so she returned to their room, selecting the more classy option she'd laid out and slipping into the dress. Her hair and makeup were rushed but she wanted things to be perfect by the time Calum returned.

When she was ready she returned to the kitchen, finishing their dinner, plating it and putting it in the warmer.

Holland bit her lip as her eyes again drifted to the clock. Calum should have been home already. She checked her phone but it revealed no new messages from him so she sat to wait, hoping that the boys wouldn't be kept at the studio too long since they'd been promised a half day off.

She tried to call him, his voicemail picking up immediately and she frowned, assuming he'd been held behind and hoping he'd be on his way soon. She moved to the living room to wait for him, trying his phone every so often to no avail as she watched mindless television and tried not to worry.

With tears in her eyes she finally retreated to their bedroom around ten, still without word from Calum.

An: oh no Cal missed their plans!

Do you think he's okay?

How's Holland going to react?

What do you think she wanted to tell him?

Ily,
Sav 🖤