by K. Anderson
As their interactions became less and less frequent, they stopped sleeping in the same bed altogether. It was much more practical that way, as Douglas often went to bed far later than her, and he hated disturbing her almost as much as she hated being disturbed. So, in the end, it was just best for both of them that they both started sleeping in separate rooms of their large home.
This only perpetuated the growing distance between them. Douglas suspected that though she did a good job of acting as though she was perfectly fine with what was happening, she was really discontent with their lackluster marriage. Doug could see it in her eyes every time they spoke together, and he often wondered if she wanted out of the marriage altogether.
Douglas regretted this slightly, but he had to acknowledge that he was largely at fault for this. If he could not connect with his wife spiritually or intellectually, he could not very well expect her to want to connect with him physically. Douglass wondered at times what he could do to rekindle the connection between him and his spouse, but then his mind would be inevitable drawn back to his work, and he would get caught up in the flurry of business yet again.
Douglas rifled through the various file folders on his desk, and he hissed as he felt a sharp pain shoot up his neck. He saw lights dancing in front of his eyes, and he cursed to himself. He was having a migraine for the second time that week. He grumbled to himself and turned to open the drawer of his desk to get his medicine, only to growl out his frustration as he realized the bottle was empty.
Fortunately, he knew he had another bottle in the desk of his study at home. Hopefully, Anna wouldn’t be busy, and she could bring it up to him. He vaguely tried to remember if she had any classes at this day and time, but he abandoned the pursuit as soon as he remembered that he didn’t keep a mental note on the structure of her work. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and hit her number on speed dial. The phone rang, and he flinched as the loud noise sent another throbbing pain in his head.
“Hello?” he heard her answer after the second ring. She seemed surprised to be hearing from him.
“Hello, hey,” Doug said into the phone, his voice strained as he pressed his eyes tightly shut against the sharp pain in his head. “Can you do me a huge favor?”
“Of course,” she said simply. “What is it you need?”
“Can you bring me the bottle of medication from my study?” he asked. “It’s un the top drawer of my desk. I just realized I’m out up here at the office.”
“Are you having a migraine?” she asked, concern in her voice.
“Yeah, it just came on right now,” Doug sighed, rubbing furiously at his temples.
“Okay,” Anna huffed, her voice flustered. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thanks so much,” Doug said, and with that, Anna hung up the phone.
Doug released a breath through his teeth as his head ached almost unbearably. He reached behind his desk to the light switch and turned off the fluorescent lights. The darkness helped to ease the pain a little, but not by much. Doug cleared the papers off his desk and laid his face flat against the cool wood, which also granted him at least a small measure of relief.
Doug heard the door of his office quietly open, and he looked up, squinting, to see the small form of his wife crossing the room toward him, a concerned from upon her face.
“Here,” she said softly, handing him the bottle of pills and a bottle of water.
“Thank you,” Doug breathed in relief.
He immediately opened the bottle of pills and shook two into his hand. He tossed them into his mouth and downed half the water bottle. Anna moved behind him and gently massaged his neck as he gripped the edge of his desk, waiting for the relief that the pills would soon bring.
“Sorry about that,” Doug apologized. “I know you had to go out of your way.”
“Its fine,” Anna said, her tone dismissive. “This is the second one this week.”
Her tone was hard, and Doug knew that she was concerned.
“Yeah, I know,” he sighed, rolling the cold water bottle over his face.
“They’ve been happening more often,” she pointed out.
“I know,” Douglas said again. “There’s not much I can do about it.”
“Maybe not that you can,” Anna said vaguely.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Doug frowned.
“It means,” Anna started. “That I think a good way to help you would be massage therapy.”
Doug grunted noncommittally. He did not like the idea of going out to some massage parlor every week and hoping someone could rub away his troubles.
“I know you don’t like the idea of going to a spa,” she said. “And I agree, that seems a bit impractical. But I thought that we could certainly hire someone to come out and give you treatments. I’ve been doing a lot of reading, and there have been significant reductions in stress migraines just from weekly treatments. I really think it would be worth it to at least give it a chance. If you hate it, we don’t have to keep doing it, but at least try.”
Douglas sighed. His first inclination was to reject the idea offhand. He had never put much thought into the idea of having some stranger touch him all over in the name of relaxation. But he clearly saw that Anna had obviously taken some time to do her homework. He also saw that she really was concerned for him, and his heart softened a bit at the reminder of her care.
“Alright,” he said. “I’ll try it.”
“Thank you,” Anna said softly. “I’ll take care of all the details so you don’t have to worry about anything at all.”
“Okay,” Douglas nodded, and sighed a little in relief as he felt his pills began to take effect on his headache. He blinked a couple of time and massaged at his temples.
“I’ll see you when you get home,” Anna said as she moved back out of his office.
“Okay,” Douglass said. With his migraine slowly ebbing away in intensity, Douglas took in a slow breath and once again looked down at his papers on his desk, and tried to focus his mind on the tasks he had to accomplish with the rest of the day.
Chapter 2
Fortunately, the pain from his migraine steadily subsided into nothing, and Doug was actually able to complete all his work, and even start some of the things he had assigned to tomorrow. He vaguely debated whether he should stay late that day, but he decided against it. He knew Anna would likely be a bit worried about him, having just had a migraine, and he didn’t want to keep her waiting if she was still concerned.
So, Douglas packed up a few files and headed for home. Besides, he could always work from home within the confines of his study there. He locked up his office and headed for the parking garage. Once inside his car, he started the engine and pulled out of his space.
It did not take him long to get back home from the office. Before he knew it, he was pulling up the driveway and into the garage, right next to Anna’s car. He got out of the car as the garage door automatically closed behind him, and he moved into his home.
The garage door led straight into the kitchen. Douglas did not wait, and he moved over to the cupboard to fetch a cup, which he the filled with water from the tap. He drank at it, letting it refresh him after his long day. He could feel his eyes drooping, and he vaguely considered taking a nap. Then, he remembered the files he had brought home from work, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to get any kind of rest with them weighing on his mind.
Douglas was just finishing up his glass of water when he saw Anna enter into the kitchen. He offered her a small smile. She did not return the gesture.
“How are you feeling?” she asked, her voice cordial and somewhat concerned.
“Much better now,” Douglas smiled. “Again, thanks for bringing up my pills.”
Anna nodded and moved deeper into the kitchen toward the fridge.
“Dinner will be ready in about an hour,” she said simply as she removed a few items from the fridge, setting them out on the island behind her.
“Okay, great,” Douglas said. “I’m just going to go into the study and work through a few more files.”
Anna said nothing, and Douglas heard her release a soft sigh. He felt a momentary surge of guilt, but then shrugged it off. This was nothing new, and he moved through the house to his in home office, settling down in his large chair to go through the paperwork.
Douglas quickly fell into his familiar rhythm. He ran numbers and made a few phone calls, and generally accomplished several of the tasks that he had lined up. Before he quite realized it, an hour had passed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Anna at the door of the office, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. Douglas looked up at her expectantly.
“Dinner’s ready,” she said shortly.
“Alright,” Douglas nodded easily. He packed up all the completed files and put them back in his briefcase. His mind lingered on a few loose ends that he had to tie up before the night was over, but he suspected he could get the entire issue taken care of with a phone call or two. For now though, he tried to banish work from his mind, and enjoy the meal that Anna had prepared for them.
Douglas stepped out of his office, and his nostrils were immediately filled with a delicious aroma wafting through the air. He moved into the dining room, and he stomach growled. Anna had made them a meal of spaghetti and garlic bread, one of his favorite meals. Anna had always been a wonderful cook, and he eagerly sat down at the table.
“This looks delicious,” Douglas offered her a small smiled.
Anna said nothing, and took a sip of her glass of wine. Douglas’s smile faded, and he looked down at his plate briefly before picking up his fork and gathering up a bit of his meal.
“How was your day?” he asked softly after he had swallowed.
“Are you really interested, or are you just trying to make small talk?” Anna asked him. Her tone was not irritated, but it was certainly bored.
Doug’s stomach sank a little, and he let out a sigh.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I’m just… trying.”
Anna’s expression softened a little, and he felt a familiar flicker of hope. Even though they were distant, he knew that deep down, they still loved each other. If only they could somehow bridge the gap that had formed between them.
They were quiet for quite a while as they both ate. Doug thoroughly enjoyed his meal, and a warmth filled up his body as he ate more and more of his food. Soon, his plate was empty, and he couldn’t help but serve himself another helping.
When they were both finally finished, Anna collected up their plates. Usually, Doug would simply go back into his office and work more. Today, though, he sensed that Anna was in a bit of a more somber mood. So, he followed her into the kitchen.
He watched as she turned on the water in the sink. She began to wash the dishes, and she eyed him strangely as he picked up a towel and stood in wait for the newly cleaned dishes. He offered her a small smile, and he saw her relax a little as they fell into the mundane chore of washing dishes together. All too soon, though, that task was complete as well.
Anna turned toward Douglas and her eyes looked him up and down. Douglas looked back at her, leaning against the counter as he waited for her to speak, for something was most certainly on her mind.
“I want you to be home from work on time tomorrow,” she said simply.
“Then I will be,” Douglas said, easily agreeing with a shrug.
“I have called a few massage therapists throughout the course of the day,” Anna went on to explain. “I think I found one that will serve our needs very nicely, and I set up a meeting for five-thirty tomorrow.”
Doug’s mind whirled for a moment, and then he recalled that he had agreed to try massage therapy to help out with his migraines. He wanted to groan and complain, but he knew that he had already agreed to this course of action. At first he felt a twinge of irritation, but at length her relented, knowing that his wife was just concerned for his wellbeing.
“Okay,” Douglas nodded. “I will be here.”
“Good,” Anna said simply. “You have to be here, because I won’t be.”
“Where will you be?” Douglas asked, frowning with some confusion.
“I’m going to that book signing with Kathy,” she explained, her lips slightly pursing. “I told you last week.”
“Oh, oh right,” Douglas nodded. Anna blinked a couple of times, and Douglas knew well that she didn’t believe him. Again, he couldn’t fight the wave of guilt that washed over him. But, as usual, there was nothing he could really say to absolve himself of his faults, so he said nothing.
“So just be sure to be here,” Anna said again. “I set up the appointment for five-thirty, so that should leave enough time for traffic and everything. But only if you actually leave on time.”
“I will, I will,” Douglas assured her, nodding.
“This is a professional,” Anna pressed further. “And this is something that could really benefit you.”
Her tone was somewhat chiding, and Douglas felt a prickle of irritation.
“Look, I got it,” he snapped. “I’ll be here on time.”
Anna released a small huff of air from her nostrils. He could tell that she wanted to say something to him, but she held her tongue.
“Good,” she said simply, and turned to leave the room.
Douglas briefly considered stopping her, but he knew that the conversation was over. He ran his hand through his thinning hair and let out a sigh.
Chapter 3
Douglas moved into his office and finally brought all his business for the day to a close. He stretched his arms out above his head and let out a yawn, blinking heavily. He blinked his eyes heavily and vaguely registered just how tired he was. HE was finally sure that he would be able to get some decent sleep now that he had gotten his work done.
He turned off the computer and all the lights in his office and then closed and locked the door. He made a round of the house to make sure that all the doors were locked and all the alarms were set. When he was satisfied that everything was properly set, he moved toward the staircase and slowly ascended to the second floor of his home.
He moved down the hall and vaguely noted that the door to Anna’s room was ajar. Silently, he moved to stand in the doorframe, and he looked in on his sleeping wife. His heart yearned for her as he took in her calm, peaceful expression as she slept. Her mouth was parted slightly, and he listened carefully to catch the slow rhythm of her breathing. Her hair was slightly messed up, strewn around the pillow.
Douglas wondered vaguely what she would do if he just crawled into bed beside her. He frowned as he tried to remember the last time they had shared a bed. Much to his disappointment, he couldn’t remember, and again the idea came to him to just get in the bed and see what would happen.
A part of him, though, reminded him that his advances would likely just be met with annoyance or disinterest. He acknowledged that it would be much deserved. Even so, he found that he didn’t particularly care to deal with that sort of reaction. More than that, he was also very tired, and a large part of him just wanted to go to sleep and get some good rest.
Douglas took a last look at his wife before silently slipping out of the doorway and moving back down the hallway. It didn’t take him long to reach his own room, and he securely shut the door behind him as he moved into his dwelling space.
Once inside, he leaned backward to crack his back, and he groaned at the slightly painful sensation. He then took off his clothes, hanging them up on one side of the closet, where he put the things that needed to be taken to the cleaners. Then, he peeled off his socks, boxer-briefs, and undershirt and tossed them into his hamper in the bathroom.
He turned on the water to the shower and allowed it a few seconds to heat up. He glanced over his frame in the mirror. He shrugged as he looked himself over. For a man in his middle ages, he didn’t look too shabby. He still kept up with his health. He never wanted to be overweight, so he worked with a traine
r four days a week, and he ran in his own time.
Douglas saw steam coming from the shower, and that was his indication that he was ready to get in. He stepped into the shower, and allowed the hot water to flow over his knotted muscles. He rolled his neck and shoulders as he shampooed his hair. His knots were bordering on painful. Maybe it was a good thing that he was going to start massage therapy after all.
Doug finished up with his shower and toweled off. He hung up the towel on the rack to dry, and then moved back into his room. He put on another pair of black boxer briefs, and then moved over to his bed. With a sigh, he pulled back the covers, and then climbed in. He reached over to his nightstand and set his alarm. Then, he rested his head against his pillow, and it was not long at all until he fell into an exhausted sleep, tired after a long day at the office.
When his alarm woke him the next morning, Doug groaned and sat up on the bed. He blinked sleepily and rubbed at his eyes, then released a yawn. He once again cracked his back, and then swung his legs over the edge of the bed and got up. He groggily moved over to his dresser and opened up the drawer. He put on a t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts. Then, he collected his phone and his keys and made his way through the house to the garage. He pulled out of the garage, and then drove toward the gym where he held a membership.
He woke up little by little as he drove, the light of the sun just beginning to spill over on the horizon. It was not long before he arrived at the gym, and pulled into his usual parking space. He got out of the car and locked the door behind him, then headed for the doors of the building.
Upon entering, he approached the desk. With a smile, he showed the receptionist his membership card. The receptionist gave him a nod and allowed him to step into the facility. He headed straight for the locker rooms, and once there he easily located his usual locker and secured his phone and his keys. By the time he stepped out of the locker room, he spotted his trainer, a former Navy Seal named John.
