More Than Us
Page 7
While he is speaking, Foster leans over and whispers into my ear, “Hello, wife.”
Foster
“Hello, husband,” Evelyn quietly says to me.
The world fades away, like water flowing over lava, and all that’s left is the woman standing next to me. We are bonded by marriage and love. We are no longer two but one.
SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDST OF INFINITY
Evelyn
Rinsing the clay from my fingers, I ponder over the piece that will be finished in the next week. I’ve been working on it for some time, in preparation for a gallery show next month. It’s my first one-man show and a dream come true.
Toweling off my hands, I note the time. I quickly straighten up the studio and close the door behind me. Down the hall in the master bedroom, I shower off the rest of the grime from my workday and get dressed into more everyday clothing. It’s always good to change out of my studio attire and join the rest of the world.
While slipping on an earring, my phone pings with a text. I grab the cell from the dresser and read the message from Foster.
Foster: Landed at the airport. I should be home in about an hour or so.
Me: Great. Drive safe. We got six inches of snow this morning.
Foster: Does six inches make you anxious?
Me: A little, but eight inches makes me happy.
Foster: Get ready for happiness. See you soon.
Me: Love you.
Foster: Back at you.
I love that man. If there’s such a thing as marital bliss, I have to say that I’m living in it. He keeps me on my toes, keeps me smiling, and loves me in all the right ways and places.
As I’m brushing the blonde strands over my shoulder, there’s a quick knock at the front door. I place the brush on the dresser and hurry down the steps to find Wolfgang, all bundled up for the cold, next to my son, Leo.
“Mama!” my two-year-old son says, meeting me at the bottom of the staircase.
I embrace the second man to ever fully steal my heart, and I nuzzle his cold nose with mine.
“My bum-bum is stinky. I tooted.”
“Did you now?”
“Yes, it smells. Guncle smells, too.” Leo points to Wolfgang. “Yum chili dog make stinky bum-bums.”
“Oh.” I set him down and begin to take off his coat while Wolfgang stands, sheepish and guilty, near the door. “Did Guncle give you chili today?”
“Yum chili! Stinky bum-bum.”
I smile and address my longtime friend, “Thank you so much for teaching him the basics.”
“My pleasure.”
“Mama vagina!” Leo blurts. “Daddy penis!”
“I didn’t teach him that!” Wolfgang insists, raising and showing his palms. “I swear.”
“Don’t worry.” I laugh, taking off my son’s boots and placing them in the nearby mudroom. “His cousins visited last weekend, and they were kind enough to teach him anatomy. You’re off the hook.”
“Phew! I didn’t want you to think I was a bad influence.”
“I’m kind of hoping you are.” I wink. “Thank you again for taking him today. I know it was last minute, but Lisa got sick, and I’m on a deadline.”
“Not a problem. I love hanging out with him.” Wolfgang squats down with his arms wide. “Time for Guncle to go. Can I get one last hug for the road?”
Without any hesitation, Leo bounds into Wolfgang’s arms for a hug.
“See you later, Da Vinci,” Wolfgang says to Leo, affectionately calling him by his nickname. My friend then kisses me on the cheek. “Talk to you soon, EJ.”
“Okay, Wolfie.”
Wolfgang exits through the front door, and I scoop up Leo to take him into the kitchen for a quick snack before giving him a bath and getting him ready for bed. As I’m pulling his shirt over his head, I hear the garage door opening below.
I tickle my son’s belly, look into his beautiful deep blue eyes that match his father’s, and tell him with enthusiasm, “Daddy’s home.”
Foster
Cutting off the ignition, I close my eyes and breathe. It’s always good, coming home. I don’t travel often, but it’s necessary now and then for work with my family’s company, and every time I’m gone, all I think about are the people who matter most to me—my wife and my son.
Letting myself out of the car, I fetch the bag from the trunk, make my way through the garage, and open the door to the kitchen where Evelyn and Leo are waiting for me.
“Daddy!” Leo runs to me, hugging my legs, before I have a chance to put down my bag. “Penis.”
I chuckle and gather him into my arms. “So, he still remembers that tidbit from last weekend?” I ask my wife.
“It appears so,” she responds with that sassy grin of hers. “He has quite the memory. It’s all your fault.”
“I refuse to apologize for him being gifted with an amazing brain.” I bounce my boy on my hip. “Right? Big brain is good.”
“Stinky bum-bum chili,” Leo retorts. “Toot bum.”
Evelyn laughs. “I’ll gladly take credit for his impeccable comedic timing.”
“Touché.” I kiss her sweet mouth that tastes of love and home. “He got the best of both worlds.”
“He’s the product of amazing chemistry.”
“And design,” I add.
Just like us.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Saying good-bye to a beloved couple is always bittersweet, and it is no different with Evelyn and Foster. I struggled with this portion of their story for some time, unable to let them go. It might have been selfish of me as an author, but I wasn’t ready for that final farewell.
I want to, first and foremost, thank you, dear reader, for your patience with me while I completed my journey with them first. I hope it was worth the wait.
Thank you to the Renee Ericson Reader Group, for your continued support over the past year with my struggles and for loving this couple unconditionally. Your constant understanding is appreciated.
Thank you MJ, Jamie, Jo, and Renee, for taking the time to read through the last chapter of this couple’s literary lives and for your feedback as the story unfolded.
As always, thank you to my husband, who is the test subject for much of my sarcasm, a great support in this life as an always struggling writer, my best friend, and my other half.
To Bear, my constant companion, who sits at my side, even now.
And, finally, to chemistry—Without you, there would be no life and no love.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Ericson is the author of More Than Water and the After Tuesday and Love is Pateint.
Originally from the Midwest, she now resides in a small town just outside of Boston with her husband and three children.
Most winters, Renee can be found skiing with her family on the slopes of the White Mountains. During the summer months, she likes to spend every spare minute soaking up the sea air at the beach. All those moments in between, she is talking to imaginary characters and caring for her children.