Rachel Comes Home

Thomas watched as his kids were completely smitten by Aubrey as all four of them sat around the table, laughing and eating pizza. It had only been two hours and she had already settled in as if she had always been around them.

He was a little frustrated that Rachel had missed the appointment, having promised she would get off early to be there to meet Aubrey, but in their text exchange she told him the date got messed up in her phone and she had gotten caught up in a last minute meeting. That was the other reason for getting away this summer, to get away from their normal routine and spend more time together as a family and as a couple. Thomas’s job allowed him to work from home during the summer, but Rachel was the workaholic, working long hours and volunteering to head new side projects that kept her away from the family. He knew her job was important to her and being a lawyer was in her blood as a second generation lawyer, but he just wished she could take a break and spend more time with him and the kids.

“Hello?”

Thomas turned as he heard the familiar sound of his wife’s voice. He wanted to put on a stern face and show his disappointment, but the sight of his beautiful wife of 10 years and having been in such a good mood up until that point diminished his resolve. She always dressed professionally, but something about her carefully crafted wardrobe and looking so put-together always seemed to turn him on. It wasn’t so much the business attire, but the idea of what kind of woman she was underneath those clothes and how much he often fantasized about ripping those clothes off her to get to that wild woman he hadn’t seen in such a long time.

“Hey there love,” he said as he stood and greeted her with a quick kiss.

“Hey Mom, we got your favorite…” Lucy called out. “Pizza!”

“And this is Aubrey. She’s the best!” Nathan added.

Thomas watched as Rachel fumbled with her purse and work bag as Aubrey stood and moved her way around the table to greet his wife. Even though she wore heels, Aubrey still towered over Rachel’s five-foot one little body, but Rachel was no stranger to being one of the shortest people in the room and she knew how to stand her ground, no matter who she was meeting.

“You must be Rachel, Thomas has told me so much about you.” Aubrey greeted.

“Uh, you can call me Mrs. Weston.” Rachel responded sternly.

“Oh, I’m sorry… I,” Aubrey replied.

“It’s okay. Let me just put my things away and we can chat if you still have time,” Rachel said, cutting her off.

“Maybe we can reschedule. Aubrey has already been here for a couple of hours,” Thomas interjected.

Rachel gave him an odd look before she looked back at Aubrey and gave her one of her court-room smiles -- inauthentic and meticulously crafted, unlike her natural, beautiful smile.

“Nonsense. It’d be rude if we made her come all the way out here again, especially if it wasn’t a good fit. Just give me five minutes to get my notes and get myself situated and then we can chat. Kids, finish your food and start cleaning up.”