She was sitting alone on the couch. She had a book nestled in her lap. It was mid afternoon, and the sun was warming her through the open window. A light breeze blew a strand of hair out of its loose pony tail, making it tickle her neck. Sighing, she tucked it back into its place. How long had she been sitting here? It seemed like just a few minutes, but the sun had sunk to just above the trees. It had been high in the sky when she sat down here. She needed to get dinner started soon. Her love would be there within the hour.
Setting aside her book, she stood and stretched. Her legs were slightly cramped from sitting in the curled up position she had been in. She scratched both dogs' ears and headed off to the kitchen. After scanning the fridge and pantry, she decided on pasta for dinner. She set the water on to boil and turned on the oven. She was swaying back and forth to the music playing in the background. Today had been a lazy day. She'd managed to get the laundry done, and the bathroom and kitchen clean, but nothing else. Her book had been to strong a draw. So she'd turned on classical music and disappeared into the fantasy for hours.
As she was putting her dish together, she heard the car pull into the driveway. She loved the thrill she still got when her love came home. Her heart fluttered, her breath caught in her throat, and a warm pull started in her belly. She pushed the pan into the oven, and stood up straight, to feel him standing behind her. His arm came around her in a warm embrace.
"Hey baby. How was your day?"
"It was fine. I'm glad to be home. Mmmm. Something smells delicious. Dinner smells good, too." He nuzzled his nose down against her neck just below her hear, and pressed a kiss there.
"I'm making ziti. We haven't had that in a while. You want something to drink? I picked up some beer this morning."
"Sure. Mind if I go change real quick?"
"Not at all." Their routine was fairly set. They hardly ever strayed from it. This day seemed no different. It was safe to say, their lives had become comfortable. But she didn't mind.
She popped the top on the cold bottle and sat it on the counter. She peaked in the oven, and turned it up to broil. Nothing better than crispy cheese on top of pasta. Her hand rested on her belly. She couldn't wait to tell him the good news. He came back in and scooped his beer off the counter, not noticing the dreamy look in his wife's eyes.
They ate their meal, and discussed his day at work. Toward the end, she could hardly contain herself. She started fidgeting and picking at what was left on her plate restlessly.
"Are you ok? You can't sit still."
"Well... I need to tell you something. I'm..."
Just then a loud bang sounded through the house. The both jumped and looked at the door, It was still locked. But when they turned around, they found a man standing at the entrance to the kitchen with a gun in his hand.
