Love Reborn on Christmas Eve

Chapter 2

TWO MONTHS AGO!

That night, Ayva walked into Alex's study room, with a big smile on her face. She has been so excited all week, doing some little planning in her head. It's all she can think about. The celebration is such a huge thing for her and all she wants is to share her excitement with her husband.

"Hey, honey!" She greeted sweetly, plopping down on the couch in the room.

"Hi, darling!" He answered flatly.

"Are you busy? I wanna talk to you about something."

"Uhmm... Yeah... Yeah, I'm kinda busy right now so we should probably talk about it later." He said, his eyes glued to his laptop screen.

Ayva's smile faltered, but she tried again, "But it is very important, Alex!"

Her husband, Alex, didn't even look up from his laptop. "What is it about?" he muttered his question, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

Ayva tried to ignore the fact that he wasn't even making eye contact with her, or seeming interested in their conversation. "Well, it's our 10th anniversary coming up, and I was thinking we could plan something special. Maybe a weekend getaway, a party at the house, or a nice dinner?"

"Isn't that till next month, Ayva?" He asked, a confused expression on his face.

Ayva's face fell, "No, it's actually in a week, Alex." she corrected, her voice tight.

Alex sighed and finally looked up from his laptop, a distant expression on his face. "Oh s**t! I totally forgot."

She huffed in disbelief as she felt a surge of anger. "You forgot? Our tenth wedding anniversary, and you forgot? Really?"

Alex held up his hands, defensive. "Ayva, honey I'm sorry, okay? It slipped my mind. I've been so preoccupied with the company and some other stuff. I'm really sorry."

Ayva's anger boiled over, "You always do this, Alex! You always forget the important things. My birthday, Emma's birthday... you also forgot our anniversary last year!"

Alex looked taken aback by Ayva's outburst, he never expected her to get so angry at him, but he tried to placate her. "Ayva, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Ayva took a deep breath and brushed off her hurt and anger as she tried to act cool.

"Can we please just plan something special for our anniversary? It would mean a lot to me."

Alex grunted, "That sounds fine, I guess."

She felt a pang of hurt at his lack of enthusiasm and interest. "You guess? I was thinking we could make it a special celebration. We've been married for 10 years, after all! I mean, it is a big deal."

Alex sighed and closed his laptop, finally giving Ayva his full attention. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I really am. I'll try to do better, okay? But can we just keep things low-key for our anniversary? I don't have a lot of time or energy for planning a big celebration."

Ayva felt a lump form in her throat as she looked at her husband. She had been expecting something more, something romantic and special. But instead, Alex just seemed distant and uninterested. He didn't seem too excited to celebrate their anniversary.

"Okay," Ayva said finally, trying to keep her voice light. "I guess I'll just plan the entire thing on my own then."

Alex nodded and stood up, yawning and stretching his arms over his head. "Thanks, darling. I appreciate it."

As Alex walked out of the room, Ayva felt a little disappointed and hurt, almost to the verge of tears. She had been looking forward to planning their anniversary together, and now it just seemed like she had no one to share her excitement with and would plan everything all on her own.

The next morning, Ayva woke up with the same feelings of hurt and disappointment from last night. But the minute Emma—her eight-year-old daughter—ran into the bedroom to give her a good morning and a goodbye hug and kiss because she was leaving for school, it was like all the sadness in her was crushed by her little girl's hug.

She waved her daughter goodbye before heading downstairs to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee, ask Úrsula—the housekeeper— what was for breakfast, and then think about how to spend her day.

The morning went by pretty fast, and Ayva sighed heavily as she stared at the book in her hands. She felt like she was stuck in a rut, doing the same old daily routine over and over again. Reading a book to cure boredom, helping Úrsula in the kitchen or just counting the minutes until Emma returns from school so she could at least have someone to chat with.

As a stay-at-home wife, Ayva's days were mostly filled with taking care of the house and their young daughter, Emma. It wasn't that she didn't love her role as a mother and homemaker, but sometimes she felt like a part of her was missing. Like she made a wrong decision by giving up her career for this.

Before Emma was born, Ayva had worked as an interior decorator at her uncle's company, and she was amazing at her job. She loved her job because it gave her a sense of purpose and fulfilment. But after Emma's birth, Alex had encouraged her to quit her job and focus on taking care of their child and the house.

At first, Ayva had been happy to devote herself to motherhood. She had no problem with taking care of the house because she felt like she needed the rest. But as the months went by, she began to feel restless. She misses the mental stimulation, the sense of accomplishment that came with working, and her freedom. She misses her life before marriage and childbirth. She misses her freedom.

Ayva decided that she needed a break from her routine. She needed to leave the house or else she would lose her mind. So she picked up her phone from the nightstand and sent a text to Violeta—her best friend—. Violeta owns a large cosmetic company in the country, and Ayva often goes to the company to help out with whatever Violeta needs, and also hang out.

She waited for Violeta to return her text before changing into some clean clothes, fixing her hair, applying her makeup, and then driving to Violeta's company.

"Hi, Mrs Ayva." Karen—Violeta's secretary— greeted her with a huge grin on her face.

"Karen, hello," Ayva responded sweetly. "Is Violeta in her office?"

"No ma'am. She's currently in a meeting with some investors, but she said to wait for her in her office when you arrive." She said and Ayva nodded her thanks. "Would you like me to bring you anything?"

"A cup of coffee, please. Thank you." Ayva responded with a small smile before heading to Violeta's office to wait for her.

Some minutes later, Violeta and Rachel walked into Violeta's office together, chatting and laughing. Violeta closed the door behind them and gestured for Rachel to take a seat.

"Rachel... Hi." Ayva greeted her friend with a sweet smile.

"I ran into Rachel in the hallway on my way back from a meeting," Violeta said a smile on her face.

Ayva smiled, happy to see her two best friends together. "Perfect timing," she said. "I needed to see the both of you."

Violeta picked up the phone on her desk and dialled a number. "Hi, Karen? Can you please order us a few pizzas from that new place down the street? We're going to be chatting for a bit, and I think some Chinese food would be great. Thanks!"

She hung up the phone and turned back to Ayva and Rachel. "So, what's new with you two? I feel like it's been ages since we've all caught up together. Especially you Rachel. We haven't spoken in a long time."

"I know!" Rachel said with a guilty look on her face. "The company recently signed a huge contract with the new investors and I was put in charge of the project, so all I do is work, work, and work. I barely even have time for Benjamin and the kids. I'm just so preoccupied and barely have enough time to take a break."

Ayva heaved a deep sigh, a sad look spreading across her face as she looked down at her fiddling fingers.

Violeta noticed the change in her mood and asked, "Hey, Ayva, is everything okay? You were all smiles some minutes ago and now you look like a little kid who tasted lemon for the first time."

Ayva sighed and shook her head. "I don't know, Violeta. It's that lately, I've been feeling so restless. I just feel so... useless... So unimportant. I wish I didn't have so much free time. I wish I was also preoccupied with work like you two."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You're a stay-at-home mom. That's a full-time job in itself."

Ayva shook her head. "I know, I know. But it's just not the same as having a career. You know I never wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, I just felt it was the right thing to do at that moment, take care of our baby. But now I regret making that decision. I... I just... I just really miss leaving the house and having a purpose for the day. I miss feeling like I'm contributing to society in some way."

Violeta leaned forward, her expression sympathetic as she held Ayva's hands in hers. "Ayva, darling, you're an amazing mom and wife, and you're doing a fantastic job. You're contributing to society in your little way."

Ayva smiled wryly. "I know that, intellectually. But sometimes I just wish I could go back to work. I wish I could have a career again. Have a purpose for getting up the next day. Get my life back, y'know." She paused to swallow back the lump that had formed in her throat. "I'm just tired of being the wife and the mom. I don't wanna be known as the spectacular wife and mom. No! I wanna be known as Ayva Martins, one of the best interior designers in the city. I need my identity back Violeta. I want my identity back!"

"Oh, sweetheart!" Violeta said with compassion as she pulled Ayva in for a warm and comforting hug while Rachel ran her hands softly up and down Ayva's back.

"Oh, Ayva, I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were feeling this way." Rachel said softly.

Ayva pulled back from Violeta, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I just feel so trapped, you know? It feels like I'm not doing anything meaningful with my life. Like I'm just a mom and a wife, but I'm not me anymore. Like I'm somebody else. I just really want my freedom back." she said, her voice shaking.

Violeta and Rachel exchanged a concerned glance, but Violeta just nodded and said, "We're going to figure this out, Ayva. Together."

Just then, Karen walked into the office with a large box of pizza and several bags of food. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry to interrupt." She immediately apologized, taking in the sombre faces of the three friends. "I brought the food you ordered, Violeta."

Violeta waved her hand. "It's alright, Karen. Just drop the food and we'll take care of it. Thank you."

Karen set the food down on the conference table and turned to leave. "I'll just... uh... get back to work then.."

Violeta called out after her. "Karen, clear my entire schedule for the day. I'm going to be busy with my friends."

Karen nodded and smiled. "Will do, Violeta. Have a great day, ladies."

With that, Karen left the office, closing the door behind her. Violeta turned back to Ayva and Rachel. "Now, where were we?"

Rachel asked in a soft voice, "Have you talked to Alex about this?"

Ayva hesitated. "I don't know... I'm not sure if he'd understand or be okay with that. He's always been a bit traditional when it comes to family roles."

Violeta nodded. "Well, maybe it's time to have that conversation with him. You never know what might be possible until you ask."

Ayva nodded worriedly, "Maybe later. I don't think this is the right time to bring it up. Things aren't exactly good between us at the moment."

"What? What do you mean? What's going on between you two?" Rachel questioned with worry.

Ayva sighed, "Our relationship...it's just been rocky lately."

Violeta's expression turned sympathetic. "What do you mean? You guys have always been so solid."

Ayva shook her head. "I know. That's what makes this so hard. We've been married for almost ten years, and for most of that time, everything was great. But over the past few months...I don't know, it just feels like he's not in love with me anymore."

Rachel's eyes widened. "What makes you think that? Alex adores you."

Ayva hesitated, unsure of how to articulate her feelings. "It's just little things. He doesn't look at me the same way anymore. He doesn't touch me as much. And when we do have s*x, it feels...mechanical. Like he's just going through the motions and can't wait to be done. He doesn't even make me finish. It's just.... A lot." She finished with an exasperated sigh.

Violeta's expression turned thoughtful. "Have you talked to him about how you're feeling?"

Ayva nodded. "Yeah, I've tried. But he just says I'm being paranoid, that everything is fine. But it's not fine, Violeta. I can feel it. Something isn't right between us. My marriage is falling apart."

Violeta and Rachel reached out and took Ayva's hand. "We're so sorry, Ayva. We had no idea things were this bad."

Ayva's eyes welled up with tears again, "I don't know what to do, Violeta. Our tenth anniversary is coming up, and he didn't even remember. He forgot about our anniversary."

Rachel's eyes widened in shock. "Wait! What!? He forgot your anniversary?"

Violeta's expression mirrored Rachel's. "That's unbelievable. But how could he forget a day as important as that."

"He's too preoccupied with work so he doesn't remember his daughter's birthday or his anniversary." Ayva shook her head and then continued. "It's not just that he forgot. When I reminded him and started talking about planning something special, he didn't even seem interested. He just kind of... brushed it off."

Rachel's face turned indignant. "That's not okay. You deserve so much better than that. He should be excited to celebrate your anniversary, not acting like it's no big deal."

Violeta nodded in agreement. "I'm with Rachel on this one. That's just not acceptable behaviour from a partner. It is just so insensitive."

"I'm supposed to be planning this big celebration. But the thought of pretending to be happy, of pretending that everything is okay...it just feels like too much to bear." Ayva looked down, tears streaming down her face freely. "I just feel so... unimportant. Like, I'm not even a priority to him."

Violeta and Rachel immediately jumped into comfort mode. Violeta got up and hugged Ayva, while Rachel handed her a box of tissues.

"We're here for you, Ayva," Violeta said, her voice soft and soothing. "Rachel and I are going to help you plan a spectacular anniversary celebration. You deserve to feel loved and appreciated and that's exactly what we are going to make you feel. Loved and appreciated." She smiled sweetly.

Rachel nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. We'll take care of whatever it is that you might need. You have nothing to worry about, Ayva."

Ayva smiled weakly, feeling a little better thanks to her friends' support. "I do not know what I would do without you guys in my life. I feel so much better after talking to you guys. Thank you so much."

Violeta and Rachel smiled back.

"Of course! That's what friends are for." Rachel said.

"You are going to have a serious conversation with Alex, but not this moment! We have to focus on what is more important right now, and that is the anniversary celebration. Now, let's get started on planning your anniversary celebration. What do you have in mind? What do you want to do, Ayva? Tell me." Violeta asked, going fully into planning mode.