Free No Deal Breakers by Amanda Page B

go
to bed myself. Thanks for everything."
    "Stop thanking me, I’m your husband. Sunday
school starts at nine, so I’ll leave here about eight thirty, I
should be home by eleven thirty, depending on how many people
corner me afterwards. Todd and Anna usually have Sunday Dinner
around two. Let me know if you need anything, goodnight."
    "Sounds good, goodnight." Brian gave her one
last smile, and was headed back downstairs.
    She found what she needed for the night from
her pile of shopping bags and took a long bath to relax and
decompress from her long day. Once back in her room she found sleep
easily and without hesitation, perhaps it was the lock on her
bedroom door that made it so easy for her fall right into a deep
sleep, or maybe it was all of the small cracks Brian was making in
the walls she had around herself.
     
    According to her new cell phone, it was after
nine when she woke the next morning. She knew Brian would already
be in church, but the quiet still took her by surprise when she
dressed and made her way downstairs, it wasn’t a bad quiet, just
not at all what she was used to, no cars, sirens, or people. She
found a bright orange sticky note on the counter addressed to
her;
     
    Aria,
    I left for church, I should be back before
noon.
    Sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up, I hope
you
    slept well. Make yourself at home, see you
soon.
     
    Brian
     
    Her heart swelled, and once again she thought
about how sweet he was, he didn’t have to leave a note, but he did,
just to let her know he was thinking of her. She smiled as she
thought of all the things he’d done for her over the last few days.
He used her nickname, the one she introduced herself as…the one no
one had used since she was twelve and moved in with Jack. It felt
right, it was becoming someone new and going back to someone she
had once enjoyed being, someone Jack had destroyed. She shuddered
at thoughts of her "uncle" Jack. He wasn’t really her uncle, she
didn’t have any family left, that was just the excuse he gave when
anyone questioned him. She pushed aside thoughts of Jack and her
previous life, she needed to move on and start fresh with
Brian.
     
    She made herself an omelet, and a cup of
coffee, it felt good to get acquainted with this kitchen-her
kitchen. Cooking had never been this pleasurable for her, more of a
chore that she enjoyed, but she had never had the freedom to just
make whatever pleased her, she’d never had ownership over it, it
was a liberating feeling. She laughed to herself, funny that she
should find what many women found oppressive to be so freeing.
    She rinsed her dishes and put them in the
dishwasher with Brian’s. She decided to put away her new things and
then search for a cookbook and decide on what she would take to the
Erickson’s.
     
    Just before noon she was frosting her second
pan of brownies when she heard the garage door open, she smiled to
herself, she hoped Brian would like them, she had found a box of
hand written recipe cards that she assumed were his mother’s and
used a brownie and frosting recipe from it. The chocolate frosting
was the best she had ever tasted, and she was proud to be able to
take credit for making it. She wanted to be the best wife in every
way she could to Brian.
     
    "Are those brownies? Please say yes." His
eyes were bright and shining when he came into the kitchen. He
reminded her of a small child begging to lick the bowl, and she
couldn’t help but laugh.
    "They are, I was hoping you would say that, I
made two batches, I thought we’d take one and a half with us this
afternoon and keep the rest here for us."
    "Awe, why can’t we keep them all here," he
mock whined at her, "Kidding, I’m sure the kids will love them,
that was very thoughtful of you." He picked one up from the tray
she was putting together.
    "These are amazing, better than my mom’s, but
don’t tell her that."
    "I found the recipe in the box above the
refrigerator, I assume it’s her recipe."
    "They