Wrapped In My Wife

I close my eyes and shake my head. This is my first day and I’m already second-guessing it. I need to dive into this. I can’t just give up so easily. I need to give this all I have and try to be positive. Sure, I’m a little disappointed that I won’t be the one to greet the boys when they get home from school. Dylan said he’d pick them up, which means he’ll be home early tonight, something that hasn’t been the norm lately. I’m just sulking because I’m missing those moments, but it won’t always be like this.

Dylan came around a lot faster to me getting a job than I thought he would. Even today when I told him they asked me to stay late he jumped at the chance to pick the boys up for me. He was super possessive of me last night and I can still feel him between my legs, but overall he’s been really supportive.

Picking up my phone, I smile when I see a text from my husband asking me where I keep the kids’ art supplies. Apparently, they’re working on a school project. I text him back where he can find them, wondering how big of a mess they’re about to make. I finish my lunch while searching the internet for new recipes. When I find one I like, I save it before I clean up my lunch.

A new text from Dylan dings on my phone. It’s a picture of the boys sitting at the dining table working on posters. At the top it says All About Me. My heart drops a little. I love the picture. My boys are the most adorable little men in the world, and I’m sad I’m missing this moment.

I reassure myself that they’re getting some one-on-one time with their dad right now. That I don’t need to be by their side at every waking moment. They’re growing up, even if it’s faster than I want them to.

I send back heart emojis and tell Dylan to tell them I love them and will be home soon.

“Emily?” I look up at the sound of my name to see a man in slacks and a dark blue button-up shirt standing there. He looks to be about my age, with blond hair and light blue eyes.

I stand up and smile. “That’s me.”

“I’m Mark, the new director.” He reaches his hand out and takes mine in a soft but firm hold.

He doesn’t let go for a long moment and I feel his fingers rub my wrist before he releases my hand. The handshake felt intimate, but I ignore it. He’s probably just friendly and I’m reading too much into it. My husband has made me think that everyone breathing is flirting with me. To say my husband is the jealous type is an understatement.

Not that I’m not the same. We’re all either of us has ever known when it comes to relationships. We’ve belonged to each other before we even really knew what love was. Dylan had the boys at school running the other way when they saw me. It makes me laugh now when I think back on it.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I grab my bag and phone.

“The pleasure is all mine.” He motions for me to follow him. “I was hoping to get here sooner, but I got caught up in a few meetings today.”

We walk down the hallway and he stops at a door with his name on it. He opens it to reveal a nice-sized office. He goes in and sits behind the desk.

“Nancy told me all you’ve gotten done today.” He smiles at me. I sit down in the chair in front of his desk, crossing my legs. “You knocked out a lot more than I thought you would. You’re a fast worker.”

“Thank you.” I feel pride at knowing I was helpful. I think a part of why I was working so fast was because the sooner I got it done, the sooner I’d be out of that basement. I’m pretty sure I’m allergic to dust.

“I think you’re being underused here. I took a look at your résumé.” He pulls out a sheet of paper and looks down at it. “You graduated with a degree in liberal arts?”

I nod. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I entered college but was told liberal arts was a versatile degree.

“But you never picked up a job after that?”

“No. I became pregnant with my twins a little before I graduated. I’ve been staying home with them until now. They just started kindergarten.” Thinking about them makes me smile even more. I wonder what they put down on the posters.

“You had twins? You’d never know.” His eyes run over my body.

I’m not sure how to respond to that. Is that a compliment? I get nervous and just play it off.