Finding a New Kind of Love

Dinner Not Served

    "Wine, I need wine!" said Lanie, with a big grin on her face. Lanie ran to the cellar and found some wine dating back to the 1950s. "Oh, this is one of his favorites too," said Lanie. Lanie made her way back upstairs to check on the food, "About thirty-five more minutes, I have some time to get ready." she said. Lanie rushed upstairs to the bedroom to change clothes. She started looking through the closet and at the very back she found that little red dress that Darry loves so much. She laid it on the bed and made her way to the bathroom to take a shower before Darry came home. She turns the water on and quickly undresses. After a few minutes, the water was steaming hot, so she jumped in. Lanie had bought a new body wash from Bath and Body Works and it was one of the ones that Darry had picked out when they were teens. He always told her that it made her body look like it was kissed by the sun. She knew that he would love it. "I better shave my legs, if he feels like getting frisky tonight, I don't want to feel like Chewbacca," she laughed.

     After about fifteen minutes of being in the shower, she got out and wrapped herself in a towel, and walked over to the sink. She plugged in the hairdryer and started blow-drying her hair, she wanted to keep it a little damp, so she could curl it. Lanie was never a super girly girl, which is one of the things that Darry loved about her. Lanie never cared too much for a lot of makeup. "Just a little bit of eyeliner and just some red lipstick, perfect," she said. The food should be getting close to getting done, I better get ready. Lanie walked over to the bed and slipped into the beautiful red dress.

      At the bottom of the closet, Lanie found a box labeled "Darry and Lanie forever." Lanie grabbed the box and opened the lid. Inside, she found pictures of when she and Darry first met. They had gone to the mall where there was one of those photo kiosks, they had the best time. At the bottom, she found a promise ring that he had given her when they were 15. He always told her that he was going to marry her. He always promised to cherish her, and love her no matter what. If anything drifted them apart, they would do what it took to fix it. Also, there were tickets inside from the fair that they went to after their first dance. Lanie remembered that night like it was yesterday. Darry was so good at the basketball game. He hardly ever missed. But then again, he was captain of the basketball team back then. He was so good at it. 

    That's not why Lanie was attracted to him. He treated Lanie like a human being. Not like she was a piece of meat. In that box, in the corner was a pregnancy test. Lanie had gotten pregnant when she was 14. She never told anyone. Unfortunately, at only six weeks, Lanie had a miscarriage and lost the baby. She never told anyone, except Darry. Darry would have been a great father. Lanie had one tear roll down her cheek as the timer on the stove went off.

    "Oh, I need to get my heels on," she said. Lanie closed the lid on the box and slid it back into the closet. She quickly grabs a pair of white high heels and slips them on and then finds a set of pearls that her mother bought her when she was a teen, it was her favorite necklace.

    Lanie walks downstairs to the stove. The smell coming from the kitchen was heavenly. Darry should be home at any minute. Lanie pulls the chicken lasagna out of the stove, grabs the plates, and serves up the food. She brings it over to the table and covers it quickly to keep it warm until Darry comes home. Lanie lights the candles and takes a seat as she waits for her husband to come home. The few minutes turned to thirty minutes and then an hour. There was no sign of Darry.

    Lanie, angry and confused looked through her purse to find her cell phone. She sends a text to Darry. "Honey, where are you? You were supposed to be home at 7 pm," she typed angrily. She set the phone down on the kitchen table and fixed herself another glass of wine. Time seemed to go by so slowly, with no word from Darry. Lanie tried everything in her power to stay up and wait for her husband, but she found her eyes to begin getting heavy. She grabbed a piece of paper from the side of the fridge and decided to write a letter to Darry before heading to bed.

    "Dear Darry, today was a special day for me, for us. Today, I found out that I got a big raise. I wanted to celebrate this with you. I understand that you are trying to do better for yourself. And I am proud of you for that. However, I am upset that my husband couldn't text me back, or simply call me to let me know that you wouldn't be home for dinner tonight. I made your favorite. On the table, you will find some chicken lasagna wrapped up for you and a wine glass filled with your favorite wine. I am going to bed. I love you." she wrote.

Lanie walked upstairs to the bedroom and took her dress and heels off. She changed into her pajamas and headed to bed. Within minutes, she drifted off into a deep sleep. Lanie was mentally and physically exhausted between trying to keep the house clean and her husband happy, she didn't have a lot of time to herself, that needed to change.