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Chapter 3 Kelly

Kelly set the table, pulling out all the stops. The fancy glasses and a chilled bottle of wine, candles ready to be lit, cloth napkins, everything she could think of to show Derek how much she loved him. He had been different lately. He hadn’t touched her in months. He came home grumpy every evening. He didn’t seek out opportunities for alone time or suggest date nights, like he had in the past.

Kelly tried to convince herself that he was tired from working so hard. Stressed out about the finances. Drained from putting whatever was left into the kids. Those were the things she told herself, a feeble attempt, pretending there was nothing to worry about. That her mother’s words hadn’t hit her hard. She tried to push away any self doubt. Thoughts about her after baby body creeping in. Knowing it had been months since she applied any make up or wore clothes with zippers and buttons instead of draw strings.

Kelly dwelled on a memory of a night, not to long ago, when she had made the effort to look attractive for Derek. When she had tried to rekindle something that resembled the good times.

It was four maybe five months ago. Derek was supposed to be home at five, so Kelly sent the kids to her mom’s for the night. It honestly didn’t take much persuasion, Mimi loved alone time with her babies.

Kelly dropped the kids at her mom’s then hit the mall. She hit the makeup counter at the department store, taking advantage of a free makeover, then headed to lingerie. She settle on a cute lacy white slip, both dainty and naughty simultaneously. It came with crotch less panties and knee high net stockings that sexily hooked to garter clips. It was perfect.

Kelly rushed home, whipped up a quick batch of Derek’s favorite: fettuccine Alfredo and garlic bread, before suiting up in her lingerie, picturing Derek’s hungry look as he walks in the door. Wondering if the hunger she sees in his eyes will be for her or the food.

Derek didn’t come home at five as promised. Six came and went without even a phone call. By seven Kelly was worried, how many missed calls could he really ignore. At eight she was pissed. Where the f**k was he and why couldn’t he be bothered to call. Nine o’clock brought back the worry and along with it guilt for the 8 o’clock angry. Finally at 10 she got a working late text. That was it. Working late. No sorry I didn’t calls or sorry I couldn’t break away to let you know. Just working late. There wasn’t even an eta.

Teetering between sadness, disappointment, and anger, Kelly threw the Alfredo in the trash, left the dishes in the sink, and went to bed. She took off her brand new lingerie, folded it up, and shoved it deep down in her drawers, hidden under her sweat pants and favorite college t-shirt.