The Townhouse

The sun starts peaking through the blinds and warming the entire room, alerting me to the fact that I have, once again, slept in. Blindly, I reach across the bed to feel the empty space next to me. He has left for work already. I don't remember a kiss goodbye, but I have been sleeping more heavily than I have before. I take a moment to glance around our quaint bedroom while I am still waking up. I spent months prior to this moment dreaming, fantasizing, and planning and how our room would look when we finally settled in a place of our own. My favorite color at the moment was sage, and he was very happy and obliged to make that the centerpiece. Our black bedroom furniture pops more with the neutrals and forrest feel to the rest of the room. The piece that I was most excited about, sits quietly in the corner. An evergreen, wingback, vintage chair is placed next to the record player, so that I could nurse while listening to peaceful music.

I finally have the courage to slip out of bed and into the slippers placed next to the bed. I don't remmeber bringing them back upstairs after falling asleep on the couch, in fact I don't remember myself making it upstairs. He must've carried me to bed last night, and he even remembered to bring my slippers with him. A small smile crosses my face, maybe he does love me. I make my way out of the bedroom and down the hall. His office door is slightly ajar, so I push it open slowly and find it empty. I shut the door behind me and come face-to-face with the door that doesn't open. I move past it and down the stairs. The smell of fresh coffee rushes up the stairs to greet me halfway. He remembered to start a pot before he left.

Downstairs, I walk past our picture-perfect Ikea living room. The beige couch, natural wood coffee table, and Scandinavian decoration that reminded us so much of home when we got it. I move into the kitchen to find the coffee waiting for me and I smile as I make a cup of coffee. Opening the fridge, I realized that today should be the day I make a trip to the grocery store down the street. Maybe I'll walk there, the fresh, crisp autumn air has always lifted my spirits before. I decide to take my fika first before doing any chores.

Next to the kitchen sits a breakfast area or dinette, but I had the wonderful idea to make it a coffee sunroom. Two large armchairs sit closely to one another facing the wall of windows that overlook the bay. This is my happy place in the townhouse. Chunky knit blankets, lay over the back of the chairs, with an abundance of throw pillows to snuggle into as the weather cools down. I take the seat closer to the windows and I even crack it open to smell the morning dew. It's during the tiny moments like these that I feel truly happy and ready to take on the day. I sneak a peak at the clock, knowing I should start doing something, but still wanting five more minutes in this peace and solitude.

I slowly make my way back to the bedroom to change out of my night clothes. I put on my trusty ripped mom jeans, a flowy white blouse, and my boat shoes, and then I decide to braid my hair back into a crown. I slide on my wedding bands and a simple droplett necklace. I make sure to grab my reusable shopping bags and place them into my purse before rushing past the door that doesn't open, and down the stairs out the front door.

Once outside, I feel the sun on my face and decide to take the long way to the store. I walk past the townhouses, all perfectly aligned in their rows and down to the sidewalk next to the water. The breeze from the Atlantic Ocean washes over me, giving me a nice refresh. The sunlight filters through the trees hanging over me while I continue my walk down the boardwalk. I see small children playing on the swingset, I hear their screams of pure joy and laughter of freedom. Their parents sit on the parkbanches surrounding the playground, sipping coffee and handing out snacks to the little hands reaching for them.

The landscape slowly turns into a cityscape as I enter the downtown area. The store isn't that far now, only a few more yards. The store doors open and welcome me with a blast of that cold store air. Making my way around the store, I pick up the things I need. Eggs, bread, fruits, and milk. Mainly just the basics, but on my way to the register, I pick up a bouqet of tulips. The bright pink color of the flowers made me remeber my time in Sweden. My grandmother and mother always had fresh tulips on the table to brighten any room. On second thought, I grabbed two. One for the dining table and one for the coffee room.

On the way back, I took the shorter route. These groceries were heavier than I thought they were going to be. I cut through the downtown and straight into the townhouse community. I made it home quickly and struggled for a second to unlock the front door. Luckily, I made it through and back to the kitchen. I start to put thr groceries away, but leave out a few item to defrost for dinner. Once again, I take a peak at the clock. He should be home in another hour or two. I start to prepare dinner for us. I peel three potatoes, and put them in a pot of water to boil. I pull out two steaks and decide to cube them. I grab out the cast iron pan and load it up with lard. Rosemary, garlic, thyme, and salt were the next item to hit the pan. I start to mash the potatoes, while the steak sears in the pan. I knew there had to be something else to the meal then just meat and potatoes, so parmesan asparugus went into the oven to back for a little while. Looking at the meal infront of me, I felt that there was something missing from it. Gravy. Gravy is always something to add to any meal.

As I begin to set the table, I notice the calendar on the fridge. Is that really the date? October fifteenth. I hurry to finish setting the table. Once it looks presentable, I rush up the stairs and into the bathroom. I believe it's too early still to get my hopes up but being late always gets my hopes up. I pull the box out from the back of the cabinet and grab out the test. I do the whole shabang and pee on the stick. I place it on the counter, wash my hands, and walk away. While I'm upstairs waiting, I make the bed and clean up a little.

The door opens down stairs and I hear his voice. I rush down to greet him. I take his bag and his boots, as he sets down his cover and keys. I smile as he tells me about his day at work and what his young Marines were up to. I walk with him to the table and make him a plate of food. He smiles at me, this is one of his favorite meals. I pour him a glass of coke over ice and bring it back to him. I sit as he says grace and we dig in. After dinner, I decide that I should make cookies for the night and the weekend ahead. He heads up the stairs to change out of his uniform and into lounging clothes. He quickly runs back down. A huge smile covering his entire face. I look at him in surprise, he hasn't been that happy in a while. I'm a little confused as to why he's so happy, that's when he holds it up.

The test. My spark of hope flares into a flame of joy as he puts his arms around me and squeezes me tightly. We smile, laugh, and I even cry. The half-made cookie dough sits forgotten on the kitchen counter as we excited call our parents. We know it's still early, but where would we be without hope. By the time we're done making our calls, it's almost midnight. He has early formation in the morning so he kisses me one last time and heads to the bedroom to prepare his uniform for the next day. I take my time cleaning the kitchen and walking up the stairs. The door the his office sits slightly ajar and I smile as I see him in there, ironing away. I turn away from the office and come face-to-face with the door that doesn't open.

Slowly, I open the door and turn on the lights. The nursery furniture still looks brand new and the room looks exactly how we left it a few months ago when we set it up. The blankets are folded carefully on the shelf prepared for our little joy's arrival. I turn the lights back off and shut the door. He comes up behind me and carries me to our bedroom. We get into bed and snuggle in tightly, finally being able to sleep happily again.