Page 35 of Axe-identally Married
Slowly, with wide eyes, she walked into the kitchen. “How?” she asked, scanning each surface. “Everything is still clean.”
“I cleaned up while it was baking.”
Her eyes bulged in response, and I couldn’t help but puff my chest up a little. Impressing Willa, I was discovering, was akin to scoring a hat trick.
She opened the refrigerator and stuck her head in. “And you got groceries?”
“Least I can do. I went to the health food store in Orono, then stopped at that huge CVS. I used the rest of your fancy shampoo this morning and wanted to replace it. Sorry about that. I picked up two bottles for you.”
She closed the refrigerator door slowly. Then she turned and slumped against it, blinking.
“You okay?”
She shook her head. “Yeah. After the long day I had, I think your thoughtfulness broke my brain.”
With pride rushing through me, and feeling a bit giddy, I flexed my bicep and winked at her. “One of the many benefits of being married to me. Now sit down and eat.”
“One minute.” She straightened and pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Can you do that again? Flex while gesturing to the homemade lasagna?”
I cringed. I probably shouldn’t have even done it the first time. “That’s a strange request. Why?”
“Do it.”
Sighing, I hung my head. “Fine.” Despite my reticence, I obeyed, being sure to grin.
She snapped the photo, then, without a word, furiously typed on her phone.
“Uh…” I cleared my throat, worrying that I shouldn’t have been so flashy. “Can I ask what you’re doing with that?”
“Posting this to TikTok,” she said nonchalantly, still typing. “You’re gonna go viral. Is husband porn a hashtag?”
My heart dropped right to the floor. TikTok?
She looked up with a twinkle in her eye. “I’m kidding. I sent it to Lila and Magnolia. I wanted to show them what I came home to.”
Holding her gaze, I gave her a genuine smile. “You don’t have to do that,” I said, turning back to the lasagna. “You don’t have to go over the top to pretend to your friends.”
She strode over to me and stood so close the heat of her body soaked into me. “That has nothing to do with it,” she said, her tone sharp. “I’m still upset with Lila. She apologized, and I apologized, but she was dismissive and acted like there was no way in hell I’d marry you.”
I didn’t say it out loud, but we both knew Lila’s assumption was spot-on.
“And as your wife,” Willa went on, “I take offense.”
There was no denying the small fizzle of pride that swept through me when she declared herself my wife. There were no feelings between us, save for a budding friendship, but even so, it felt really good.
“You really don’t have to hold a grudge,” I said while I plated our dinner, feeling guilty about the rift despite how her words affected me. “I don’t want to come between you and your best friend.”
She inhaled deeply. “You’re not. We were due for a little dustup. Our lives have changed a lot lately, and friendships go through growing pains once in a while.”
I picked up our plates and nodded at the small table, gesturing for her to sit.
“For the last few years, I was in Baltimore,” she said, settling in a chair. “I was too busy to return texts, and she was stuck here, trying to put her life together. Now the roles are reversed. She’s living in Boston, and I’m the one who’s returned home. It’s normal that we need some time to adjust. The love I have for her is forever, even if she annoys me sometimes.”
I had few friends. It was one of the side effects of playing hyper-competitive sports my entire childhood. When I was home, I was focused on practice, and I traveled often. Tournaments in Canada, clinics in Minnesota, and showcases in Chicago. My teammates changed year after year, making it almost impossible to create solid friendships. The guys I played with were equally competitive and always trying to get an edge over one another.
Willa had no idea how lucky she was to have these long-term friendships. Her love of Lila made me even more determined not to screw this up for her.
I had picked up my fork when she took her first bite.
