Red Writing Hood: Whatever Comes

Red Writing Hood prompt: You or your character find a forgotten letter or card from someone important in your life--whether good or bad. What does it say? How does it affect you or your character? What is done with it? This is fiction!

She found the note the day she finally found the strength to begin emptying the drawers and closets of her husband’s clothes. Jake had been dead and in the ground for a year. Slowly, oh so slowly, she got used to the horrific idea that she was alone. Her husband would never again step through that door, grab her around the waist and kiss her until she felt dizzy with love. After the funeral, her very bones seemed to be leached of the energy to face anything anymore, and she thought that it would be okay if she simply turned to dust sitting in Jake’s chair by the window.

The idea of alone was relentless, however, and the day came where she finally came to accept where he was, and where she was. Then it was time to move again.

Her children had offered to take care of the clearing, cleaning, and removing of their father’s effects, but Maisy knew that she had to do this job herself. It wouldn’t seem real to her, she thought, if she came home one day and all evidence of the love of her life had been swept away like dust under a rug. And so today, she pulled all of the drawers and closets open, and began going through them one by one.

Old ties. Dress shirts of various professional colors. Dress pants, suit coats. Those were easy to let go of, as Jake wore these rarely, if at all. He was never comfortable wearing them, so she was glad to be rid of them. Same with jeans, socks, underpants, undershirts, and shoes.

The t-shirts and the flannel one were a little more difficult. M. They smelled like Jake; like the very wind itself, blowing through the air after a summer storm. That smell would always bring a feeling that Jake was just behind her, waiting to wrap his arms around her and hold tight.

As she pulled the last t-shirt from the drawer, she saw a small white card in the bottom. Maisy leaned over and picked up the card, turning it over in her hand.. Jake’s handwriting was on the front. Maisy recognized the card immediately. Jake had given her this care the day he asked her to be his wife. She knew exactly what the card was going to say, but she opened it anyway, as tears began to weigh down her eyelashes and slide down her cheeks.

Maisy,
Whatever comes, we share. Before God , man, and beast. When the sun rises and when it sets.No matter our troubles or joys. Whatever comes, we share.
All my love,
Jake

“Oh Jake!” Maisy stopped trying to keep her tears inside and just let them flow. “

I can’t share this with you right now, my love.”she whispered. “

But I will be with you one day. “

Hey Jealousy

Larry and I have been married for ten years. We've pushed past most of the growing pains and grown rather comfortable with each other. There's a level of trust that has been established that allows us to shrug things off that would result in fights for other couples. Some things, at least

We are driving home the other day, and Larry is telling me about the summer workshop he had attended. My husband hates workshops/trainings/staff development with the heat of a thousand white-hot suns, but his attendance at this one was mandatory. There was group discussion at this workshop. At one point during this activity, the woman running the workshop came over and started rubbing Larry's back.

"What?!!!" I interrupted. "Wait a minute--are you telling me that some woman who is not related or married to you just randomly came over and started rubbing your back?"

"Yes," Larry replied. "That is what I am telling you."

"You aren't just saying that because you think I'm not really listening to you?"

"No," my husband responded. "I was really uncomfortable. Wait--what do you mean that you don't really listen to me?"

I was experiencing a sudden urge to find this woman and scratch her eyes out, and I didn't want to scratch a person's eyes out and then hear my husband tell me that he was only joking.

This sudden feeling took me by surprise.

My husband is rather handsome with his blue eyes and curly brown hair and beautiful smile. I certainly can't blame other women for wanting to hang around him. But Larry does not have a wandering eye, except for computer games and large, expensive electronic toys. I don't ever catch him looking at pretty women when we are out in public. I don't find strange phone numbers in his pockets. He does not hang around in strip joints, throwing dollar bills into random g-strings.

It's not like I was going to go challenge this woman for touching my husband. Fighting is messy, especially between women. Most women don't know how to fight. There's usually a lot of flailing about with the eyes closed, and it's the poor bystanders who get hit, clawed, and pulled around by the hair.

So why the sudden bout of jealousy? I have no idea. Hormones?