Chapter 4: Malcolm
1707 Words
"So what did you think of Evan?" I ask Mira.
We're about an hour away from home and had both been silent for most of the drive. That's likely due to the massive hangover Mira had since the only responses I got from her were grunts and mumbles. It's adorable how grumpy she gets when sporting a hangover. I've never had that problem, much to her consternation. I can drink all night and still be up at 6 am without any adverse effects.
"Hm?" She blinks at me sleepily.
I chuckle. "Evan. What did you think of him?"
"Oh. He seems nice." She says.
She looks away from me and I frown. "You don't like him?" I ask. They seemed to have gotten along pretty well last night.
"It's not that. He seems like a great guy. That's the problem." She says.
"I don't get it. Why would that be a problem?"
"It's just...." She turns to me with a thoughtful look and then shakes her head. "Nothing. He's great. I like him. I'm glad you were able to reconnect. I know how disappointed you were when you guys lost contact."
"Yeah. It was great seeing him again. I can't believe we've lived so near him for more than a year and it took traveling 5 hours away to bump into him." I laugh.
"That is a little crazy." She laughs.
Mira turns up the radio and begins to sing along while I think over her words. Why would it bother her that Evan is a great guy? Unless...maybe she found him attractive and didn't want to tell me. Frowning, I think back to the previous night and realize that maybe they had gotten along a little too well. But then, we had all been laughing and joking around together. I'm not sure how I would even feel about it if she is attracted to him. I trust Mira completely and I know that she would never betray me. And Evan...he's a good guy. He isn't the type to go after another man's wife. Still, the thought of them being attracted to each other makes me uncomfortable. No one wants their wife to develop feelings for someone else.
***
"Babe?" I call out. I head to the kitchen the next morning and pour myself some coffee. "Babe?"
"Out here." I open the back door, seeing Mira gently swaying in the porch swing. The early morning sunlight glows gently across her face as she turns to smile at me. My heart feels incredibly full when she looks at me like that. There are tiny laugh lines at her eyes and the slightest dimple in her cheeks. Her hair is still messy from sleep and all she has on is one of my t-shirts. Her tiny frame is drowning it but I like her wearing my clothes.
"Good morning, beautiful." I sit beside her and lean close, giving her a lingering kiss.
"Mmm." She smiles against my lips. "Good morning, handsome."
"You're up early. Usually, I'm the one up with the sun." I pull her under my arm and she relaxes against me as we sip our coffee. The sunlight bounces off the dewy grass and dances through the leaves of the lone tree on our property. Our backyard isn't big by anyone's standards, but that hasn't stopped us from having picnics on the lawn or stargazing.
"I know. But I'm anxious to go see my babies. I would have left already but I didn't want to leave before you got up." She kisses my chin and moves to stand.
"I understand," I say as she leans down to kiss me again. "I love you."
"I love you too." She says. Not long after, I hear the shower switching on and I head inside to rinse out my cup.
"Hey, babe? Do you want me to bring you lunch later?" I ask through the bathroom door.
"That would be great." She says. I listen to the splashing water and can envision it sliding over her skin as she rinses off. We've showered together enough that I already know how erotic she looks standing under the spray. I know how smoothly my hands can trail across her skin, and how the steam makes it feel like we're in our own little world. The water switches off and I move away from the door before I end up dragging her back to bed.
***
Lunchtime comes around quickly. I glance at the time as I touch up some finer details of the site I’m working on. I’m not totally satisfied with it yet and the client wants an update by 5 pm, but I do have time to have an hour lunch with Mira before I have to get back to it. I need a break anyway. My eyes are starting to feel dry and scratchy from staring at my computer screen for hours.
I pick up some Tai food and head to Mira’s animal shelter, Golden Paw. There aren't many cars when I pull up, so it was probably a slow day. Mira has a walk-in clinic for the people in the community who can't afford private vet fees. It doesn't help her run the place financially, and they're usually very low on funds. But my soft-hearted wife didn't care. She was determined to help everyone and every animal that she could.
That's why Evan's offer the other night meant so much. He had just met her but he was willing to take a chance and sponsor the shelter. I make a mental note to call him later and find out how his business deal is going. I didn't want to lose touch with him again. I had considered him a friend and since I had so few of those, it felt good to see him again.
I walk inside and greet the receptionist before heading to Mira’s office. I chuckle when I see that it’s empty and continue past the examination rooms to the kennels. A cacophony of sounds and scents assault me as soon as I push the door open, allowing it to swing shut behind me. The barking increases as I walk by the kennels, with some of the more aggressive ones leaping against the sides. Now, I’m an animal lover too, but I had a healthy fear of aggressive dogs. Mira, though? The woman could probably charm a tiger into eating out of her palm.
I step out into the sun, my eyes sweeping over the expansive backyard. The lawn is well manicured and stretches from the steps at the back door, to the high wall at the edge of the property. There are also sandpits and a mini obstacle course to help with obedience training. Mira had put a lot of effort into making this space a place where the animals would be safe to explore. Many of them come to her terrified and malnourished and need extensive rehabilitation.
Her laughter fills the air and I follow it around the bend to see her playing tug-of-war with a juvenile German Shepherd. She’s glowing with happiness as she praises the pup and I just stand there marveling that this woman is mine. She’s my whole world and I would do anything to make sure that her happiness never fades.
She looks up and her smile softens as she sees me there. “Malcolm.” She says. She scratches the pup behind the ears and leads him over to me. I stay where I am, keeping my eyes on her. I know better than to approach them when I'm a stranger to the dog. She made sure that I knew the risks and consequences since the animals bond to her so easily and become incredibly protective, especially around people they haven't been introduced to yet.
This one must be a new addition because I haven't seen him before. I tried not to make eye contact as I briefly examined him with my eyes. His ribs are showing through his skin a little and there are some fresh scars on his face.
"Hello, beautiful." I say. I'm careful to keep my tone light, and my hands still. I don't know what type of trauma the little guy went through but from the scars, both old and new, I had an idea.
"Is it lunchtime already?" She asks. Her hand is still on the dog's head, in case she needs to restrain him.
"Yeah, it is. But that's okay. I enjoy watching you." I smile. "This one is new."
“Yes. This is Ralph. Erica picked him up on Saturday. She did good work with him, but it still took me all morning to gain his trust. So I don’t think today is a good day to introduce you. I don't want to overwhelm him.” She says. “Just let me put him back in his kennel and we can have lunch.”
“Sure. I’ll wait here.”
Mira clips on Ralph’s leash and leads him around me. He growls softly at me before she clicks her tongue at him and he settles down immediately. She said that it had taken her all morning to gain his trust as if that’s a huge amount of time. She probably thought it was. In all honesty, it’s amazing how well he responds to her after only a few hours. I can’t help but wonder if that’s what happened with Evan too. He had offered to help the shelter with no prompting or even the slightest hesitation. It’s as if she charmed him as easily as she did her animals. The man hadn’t said a single snide remark to her, and he isn’t known for holding back.
Watching her walk towards me from the kennels, I can’t blame them for being enchanted by her. Her blue hair glowed in the sun, causing her to look otherworldly as she strolled across the lawn. All she needed was a pair of fairy wings.
- Writer
