Fake Brides by Maria Jackson

Author:Maria Jackson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2018-02-12T23:00:00+00:00

Fifteen—Gloria

After having sex with my wife, things were awkward—to say the least.

We’d both enjoyed it, from what I could tell at the time. But since then, her actions seemed to deny it.

We tiptoed around each other, exchanging strained smiles and avoiding each other’s eyes. In fact, when we could, we avoided each other entirely. I tried to be in bed by the time Claire came home from work, and for her part, she was often in the shower by the time I got up.

I hadn’t been going to yoga much lately, so I started rolling out my mat outside in the mornings. I liked to do it in the back yard, by the pool. I still wasn’t some kind of super-fit yogi, but it did help keep me calm and loosen up my body. I seemed to be tenser than usual.

Days went by like that. And they could’ve kept going by. I, for one, had no wish to start a conversation about the status of their relationship.

But date night crept up on us. And while I would’ve been happy to let it go by without celebrating it, that week, it wasn’t possible.

That week, date night fell on Winnie’s school play.

“Does this even count as a date?” I asked as Winnie zoomed around the house in preparation for the play.

Claire shrugged, following her with her eyes instead of looking at me. “We’re spending time together. That’s what counts.”

“That’s what Talia said?”

“Yeah. Exactly. In fact, we should take some pictures to show to the immigration people.”

Winnie, who had been going so fast she was almost a blur, came to a sudden stop. Spinning to face us, she said, “Pictures?”

“Yes, kiddo,” I said. “Don’t worry about it.”

“She could take them,” Claire said.

Winnie rolled her eyes. “Or I could be in them.”

I glanced at Claire. This was getting to be more of an involved process then I’d been prepared for. I would prefer having Winnie in the pictures, if only to give me some space from Claire. Now that I knew how she felt kissing me, touching me, loving me, I knew that being less than three feet away from her would instantly get me turned on. Winnie would give us just enough of a buffer.

“How can we all take a picture together?” I asked.

“Selfie cam and timer, duh,” Winnie said.

“Do we really have time?” Claire asked.

Winnie set up the camera, balancing Claire’s smartphone on the table and dragging the two of us over into the frame of the picture. “We better, because the camera’s going off in seven seconds,” Winnie said. “Six… Five…”

I tried to smile, although it came out more as a grimace. I knew we needed more pictures to prove that we were a real couple. And both of us had gotten a little dressed up for tonight—Claire in a black dress, me in slacks and a collared shirt. Winnie looked as enthusiastic as ever to wear her elf witch costume.

Still, I would’ve preferred to have done this either before we’d taken the ill-advised step that we had, or later, when my heart had recovered from it.

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