Linda entered the study and sorted the mail. More bills. Three pieces of junk mail. She sighed, then began straightening up. Her husband Jim had been extra attentive lately— even bringing her coffee in bed. He wanted something, but she didn’t know what.
The kitchen buzzer sounded, and she wasn’t even finished in the study yet! Where’s the joy in life? She thought as she turned toward the kitchen. Feeling angry, she slammed the door on her way out of the room, still fuming. Twin boys, a husband, a house, a job—and no time for anything!
On her way up the hall, she glanced into the den where her project of sewing a summer dress for her niece’s birthday was laid out. Where’s the time to finish that? She continued thinking.
Then, as if the buzzer was drowning out her thoughts, she spoke out loud, “if he REALLY wanted to please me, he could cook dinner a couple of nights a week!”
Adrenalin fueled Linda when the buzzer knob came off in her hand. She threw in into the
sink and began kicking the front of the stove, desperate to make the noise stop. Her husband, entering the garage, calmly took pliers from the drawer and turned the buzzer off.
“It sure smells good, “he said, smiling. “What’s cooking?”
Getting two potholders, Linda took a pie from the oven and set it on a burner. She then turned and began swatting Jim with the potholders.
He grabbed one and took a defensive stance. Raising an eyebrow, he said, “What’s going on?”
“You tell me,” She shot back. “You’re the one who’s acting strange lately.”
“Yeah, right. And you’re acting normal.” Jim playfully swung his potholder against hers. “Okay, I know you were just venting,” he added, pulling his shoulders back to stand up straight.
“Well?” Linda persisted, snatching back Jim’s potholder.
“They need a new Scout leader for the twin’s pack, and I thought I’d volunteer.”
Linda froze. “You’d make a great Scout leader, Jim.” She replied, thoughtfully nodding her head. A picture of herself home alone one night a week began to form. She saw herself sewing up a storm—with no interruptions!
Jim stepped forward and gently brushed the hair away from Linda’s face. “I was afraid you might not want me going out in the evening and leaving you all alone. So, to make up for it, we could turn that evening into a takeout/bring-in night. Now, how does that sound?”
Linda’s anger drained away, and she dropped the potholders as she realized that love and luck sometimes go hand in hand. She cupped his face in her hands and smiled into his eyes.
“It’s a perfect match—just like we are!”
Friendship is based on mutual understanding and trust and is the foundation of love and marriage. A good life, filled with love, is available to all who nurture their friendships. What is worth having is worth working on. Personally,
it is hard for me to imagine moving through life without friends who know me.
About
the Author
Diane H. Davis is a 5th generation Sonoma County native, and was raised on a coastal sheep ranch.
~ 1978 she was the first female Pac Bell lineman in Santa Rosa, becoming a truck driver
~ 1980 she managed an electric motor shop
~ 1984 she became an apprentice Electrician, gaining Journeyman status in 1991
~ 1986 she obtained her Calif. General Building Contracting license
~ 2007 she founded Artful Arrangements, now a charitable nonprofit, www.artfularrangements.org
~ 2008 she began Davis Publishing, www.davis-publishing. biz, with 23 book titles and 13 poems
Diane is a Certified Tourism Ambassador of Sonoma County (CTA) through Sonoma County Tourism
Diane is a member of Sonoma County Farm Trails, Sonoma County Farm Bureau, Cotati Chamber of Commerce and the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce
Yup. Friendship is a two way street. :)