Such an easy baby, she thought, continuing her dinner preparations. She was fixing Ethan’s favorite, spaghetti.
Hoping the gestures would catch his attention, Mandy had made sure the table was set, her hair was up, neck exposed and Harry was crooning on the stereo. She had touched that spot just behind her ears with the lavender oil that she knew could catch Ethan up short.
It had been months since they had had any kind of quality time alone. The pregnancy had been hard and Eva had become so ornery and demanding since turning 3. Then there were the projects around the house, forced over time, family visits. It was if the universe was conspiring against their sex life.
As she stirred the pasta and moved in time with the crooner’s words, Mandy’s mind wandered.
She could feel Ethan’s hands slide down her arms to rest on her hips as he placed his lips just behind her ear. Leaving a trail down her neck, his mouth rest right her camisole’s straps began their dive over her shoulder. Swaying together for a while, they moved as one in a slow teasing dance.
Pouring herself a glass of wine, Mandy recalled the sound of his ragged breath, the pounding of her own heart, the jostling of the bed frame. They would still themselves, afraid to wake a sleeping child only to stir their passions again by their restraint.
As the sauce came to a boil, she recalled the smell of his cologne, so tantalizing and heady,that with a whiff  would fill her with lust. So many memories of their joining, her nose buried in his chest gulping up his delicious scent.
Mandy reached for the parmesan cheese as she heard Ethan and Eva enter the front door, Eva’s chatter filling the space between the foyer and the kitchen. Matthew, startled, began to wimper. He was hungry too, for his mother’s breast.
Shooshing the fussing baby, Mandy turned down the stove as Ethan entered the kitchen.
Hopeful, wishing for a kiss and so much more, Mandy tilted her face up to greet her husband.
Without a glance her way, Ethan reached into the fridge for a beer, “Smells good, honey. I’ve got time to mow the lawn?” Not waiting for answer, he was gone, out the back door.
Wiping a way a tear, desperate to hide her frustration, Mandy returned to her chores, still hungry.
Here is this week’s prompt: Let’s get all steamy up in here and write about sex. But you know us. There’s a twist.
You can’t write about the act. I don’t want to read about any heaving bosoms or girded manhood (please tell me someone else giggled besides me).
There are so many other possibilities. And I hope you have fun finding them.
So, how did I do? And of course, constructive criticism is always welcome.
Can you stop staring in my windows, please?
Seriously, you did such a good job of capturing that longing and planning and just not being on the same page at the same time that happens so often when you have a new baby (and another little one.)
I feel her sadness at the end, and I was rooting for the act to happen. It’s like a huge bubble was popped by his entrance. You captured the male feelings well here (you know, the ones where their wives are now mothers and their body belongs to the children). Great job.
You said, “sausage.”
Sorry. #Iamtwelve
Actually, I thought this was great, and so realistic it was uncomfortable to read.
This line needs cleaning up. “Leaving a trail down her neck, his mouth rest right her camisole’s straps began their dive over her shoulder.”
Ethan’s tone and dialogue were spot-on as far as my experience goes, the not-a-question question. Perfect.
So, so very relatable. I love the way you wove reality and her desire.
My favorite line, “She could feel Ethan’s hands slide down her arms to rest on her hips as he placed his lips just behind her ear.” Because it plants my feet in the moment.
XO
yes, indeed. I have stood at that stove having thought those same sorts of things, and felt that same ache when my efforts went unnoticed and I had been longing and remembering during the day. You wrote that right out of m distant memories. Great job!
You captured it perfectly! Ah, how life changes after kids.
Though… b/c of where the line break was when I read “the pounding of her…” my mind made a totally different leap until I got down to the next line.
You did a great job creating a very realistic scene. The trials of parenthood and the limits children can put on our sex lives
Mandy will just have to make the moves in bed tonight
You had me with the description of the kisses from behind her . . . such an easy start to something wonderful.
And I then wanted to smack Adonis. No, wait, he’s Ethan in this story, when he came in.
Longing & wanting is sometimes the hardest.
I like the themes of “Mandy” and “sausage.”
What a disappointment! I mean for her, of course. I was right there with her, desperate for just a little kiss, only for him to go for the beer & head outside. So disappointing. I did like the mention of the sauce boiling as her desire seemed to also start to boil.
What a rude dose of reality at the end there. This was my favorite “They would still themselves, afraid to wake a sleeping child only to stir their passions again by their restraint.”
Yum.
I loved this. I felt like I was right in that kitchen, hell I have been there. Oh that sting of rejection.
Great post.
This is so, ultimately unbelievably relatable.
Sometimes it’s hard to see your partners hopes when you’re focused on the damn yard.
You had me at sausage. Like CDG, #Iamtwelve.
This was awesome, so spot on. Where so many of us find ourselves after having kids. ALthough I confess I should be more like Mandy and try harder (then again? I’m pregnant again, LOL!).
I do often wistfully recollect “the good ole days,” like she does in this piece.
Lovely job!
Love it! I feel so bad for her. Really, I feel bad for everyone post kids in this department. But her heartache is palpable.
Great job!
This is heartbreaking and something that most of us know all too well. The moment when reality crushes a daydream.
And what a fine job you do crafting that daydream.
Once I read “sausage” I was wondering where you would take it. Well done. I think the majority can relate. I sure can! I often have a perfect picture in my head about how our evening is going to go then I get home.
wow, I was awaiting the ending and almost had to wipe away my own tear, for the time lost and the hunger in Mandy. It was so real, the way life interferes, makes us over, changes us and yet at our core we are still so vulnerable to the needs of our bodies and hearts. You captured that with heartbreaking vividness here.
You did the prompt justice. Totally absorbing and heartbreaking.
I blushed a little too.
So: SCORE!
XOXO
I will never make pasta the same way again. I can totally relate to this. Just a week or two ago my husband and I spontaniously started slow dancing in the kitchen while cooking…then the kids came in. That was that!
Love this!
I was this today and I though of you. Enjoy…I hope!
This made me hungry, in more ways than one
Truly, it was good. Her frustration made me go grrr.
How the heck did I miss this? Oh yeah. Because I’m a reading slacker.
LOVED it. The heat, the yearning and then the crash to reality.
Wonderful, lady.