>Day who the heck cares in Elmore.
>Be Richard.
>You're watching TV when about 7 o'clock you hear the familiar noise of the car door slamming.
>Checking the clock, you see it's only 6:52PM.
>Wierd,
>She's normally pretty punctual about the time she gets home.
>Three minutes later, she throws her shoulder into the door; throwing it open.
>You should probably call someone to fix that sooner or later.
>Lately it's been opening to the outside as well as the inside as if someone broke it down from the inside-out.
>Nicole, your wife,  walks into the door with several sacks of groceries carried in a manner no normal person should be able to carry them.
>Concerned, you step off the couch grab two of the bags from her.
>Looking over her shoulder, you see a torn paper sack on the ground behind her and canned goods scattered all the way to the curb.
>As you open your mouth to speak, she gives you this annoyed glare that speaks for itself.
>'Say something and I will destroy you'.
>Without saying a thing, ou simply turn to the kitchen and drop the groceries on the counter.
>Your wife hrows her bags unceremoniously onto the counter.
>Fruits, veggies, and more canned goods scatter across the tiled floor.
>As you give her a concerned look, her back is already turned to you as she makes for the living room.
 
>Poking your head out from the kitchen, you spot your wife spinning once and a half times before throwing herself back onto the sofa.
>Nicole lets out a loud, exhausted groan.
>Trying to be a good husband, you walk over and seat yourself on the couch next to her.
>Lifting her delicate little head up, you scoot underneath so that she may rest herself on your lap.
>Nicole gives another loud groan.
"What's wrong, honeycake?" you ask, concerned.
>"Oh it's nothing," replies your wife,
>She scoots farther up onto your lap to make herself more comfortable, still looking away from you.
>"I just..." she pauses.  "I've been looking for documents, cheuferring my superiors around town for their dang dry cleaning, was forced to sit in on a company chairman's meeting..."
>Nicole was almost bursting with only the few words she had said so far.
>Boy, was she angry.
>"I had to fetch my boss coffee, fix my boss a new cup of coffee because the other pot was five minutes cold...!"
>Instinct told you to let go of your wife and cover your ears because and explosion was about to ensue.
>Instead of an ear-splitting shriek, you got a much more calmer tone of voice than you would have expected.
>"Sometimes I feel like I'm doing absolutely everything in that in office," continues your wife.
>As Nicole snuggles up closer, you find yourself hugging her even tighter.
>"And I feel like I'm the only one doing anything to help this family," she finishes.
 
>Now that hit close to home.
>Heck, that bomb was dropped IN your home!
>Yet as the father, you can't help but feel somewhat responsible for that last statement.
>At that moment, your two sons burst in through the front door.
>You flinched pretty hard in surprise, directing your attention to the door.
>One was carrying a shield, the other a sword.
>Both were wearing capes.
>Pretty rad if you had to say so yourself.
>"For we who are about to die, we salute you!" shouted Darwin, clutching his trashcan-lid shield.
>"Have at thee, ye scurvy sea dog!" shouted Gumball. thrusting his stick forward like it was a fencing sword.
>As they fought and shouted their way upstairs to their bedroom, you can't help but notice your wife clutch her ears with her paws.
>Another groan escapes her lips.
>Aww.
>Your honey booboo had a headache.
>It was only in her best interest to act.
>With a sudden burst of pride, you gently lift Nicole's head off your lap and replace a pillow underneath.
>Softly stomping upstairs, you make your way to your children's room.
They were practically screaming at the point.
>Throwing the door open (softly) you loudly shout (whispering) at Gumball and Darwin.
"You mother had a headache!" you hiss.  "Keep it down and study your homework or go outside to play!"
>Your children stop to glance at each other; perhaps pondering your ultimatum.
>Within the blink of an eye, they are out the door and gone.
"Hmph," you grunt victoriously.
 
>Heading back downstairs, you find your wife staring blankly at the television you were previously watching.
>The programming had since turn to static.
Lifting her head and scooting back in underneath, Nicole had let out another sigh.
>"Do you remember what I wanted to be when I grew up?" she asked.
"Of course I do, sweetums," you reply as you pet her head.
>That was a lie.
>You had no idea.
>"I was gonna run the bank and everything it controlled," said Nicole.
>As your hand scratched behind her ear, a shiver overtook her body.
>"But now it seems that all I wanna run now is a bubble bath," she finished.
>You give a soft chuckle.
"I'll take care of that, honey bun," you assure her.
>As you go to get up once more, she begins speaking again.
"You know, I had a plan before all of this... 'reality' set in," said Nicole.
"Huh?" you ask, not sure what she meant.
>"You know," continued Nicole.  "Here's comes life, ready or not."
>She waved her hands above her for emphasis.
>"Three kids, two parents, me working overtime plus just to get this family through..."
"Well, I could watch after some of that, you know," you interject.
>"Is dinner ready?" asked Nicole.
>With a shameful face, you look away and bow your head.
>"That's what I thought," she finished.
>She let out another deep sigh.
>"And that's completely fine, by me. I've come to expect it and embrace it."
"Say what now?" you ask.
 
>Your exhausted wife gives a short giggle.
>"Exactly," she says before she rises off your lap.
>Putting her paws to her lower back, she presses and cracks her spines several times.
>Another groan of both pain and pleasure escapes her lips.
>"I think I'm gonna make due on that promise of a bubble bath," Nicole says as she rises from the couch and slowly makes her way upstairs.
>You decide to sit on the couch and mull over some stuff in your head.
>Wow, Nicole really does work hard for such a thankless job.
>Is there anything you can do as a husband to make it up to her?
>You can hear the bath water running upstairs as you contemplate how to improve your wife's mood.
>There's nothing that immediately comes to mind.
>You mean, she's really not that horrible of a mother.
>Several minutes ago you imagine her getting out of the car and carrying in the groceries.
>In her mind, that's all she seems to see herself as.
>Just a mother an the kids and the groceries.
>As you imagine her walk to the door, your imagination runs wild.
>A sweaty Nicole throws the bags of groceries to the ground and throws her hair above her head verying sexily.
>When did she get that perm?
>Who cares; she's hot!
 
>"Kids, dinner's ready!" calls your wife.
>You suddenly snap out of your daydream.
>How long have you been out?
>At least an hour you would gander, but probably more.
>How much more, you have no idea.
>Poking your head into the dining room, your wife points to the end of the table opposite of her.
>Your place at the head of the table.
>Like the man of the house should have.
>Feeling proud and confident, you stroll into the dining room with your chest stuck out as a show of dominance.
>You stop only briefly to kiss Nicole on top of the head; eliciting a blush from her light blue cheeks.
>Taking your seat at the man's spot at the table, you listen in as your mother asks about her kids' days.
>In all actuality, you couldn't care less.
>The moment Gumball started talking, your eyes locked in and dilated on Nicole.
>As if her eyes made contact with yours at the same time, the kids suddenly disappeared from your view.
>Nicole ripped he collared shirt apart at the neck; sending buttons flying and revealing her cleavage.
>That stupid rainbow button that was part of her uniform was nowhere to be seen.
>You raise an eyebrow as she crawled upon the table.
>Your luscious wife prowled like a cougar towards you; knocking the bowls of food off the table in the process.
 
>"Richard~" she coos.
"Nicole," you mumble through a drool-ridden mouth.
>"Richard!" Nicole sharply shouts across the table.
>Again you snap out of your trance.
>Shaking your head, you stare at your wife across the table.
>"Any interesting stories you'd like to share with the family?" she said; repeating herself from not thirty seconds sooner.
"Nope," you say as you dig into the spaghetti and meatballs on the plate before you.
>"Okay then..." replied Nicole.  "Well if you kids are done, would you do the dishes?"
>She asked so sincerely too.
>"Actually me and Darwin were going  to-" started Gumball.
>Nicole's face still kept that sincere smile, but here eyes lit up with the flames of that which you would never speak.
>Gumbll and Darwin zipped away into the kitchen, cleaning off the table as they went.
>"Ah~!  Thank you, sweeties!" called Nicole after them.
>With a yawn, you watch her stand up and stretch before she heads upstairs.
>Quickly throwing back the entire plate of spaghetti into your gaping maw, you drop it onto the table before following your wife up to your bedroom.
>Like before on the couch, she throws herself onto the bed with a *pomf =3*.
>"My feet hurt," she randomly says to no one in particular.
>Finding yourself peeking in through the bedroom door, you are opted to enter the room and speak up.
"You don't even wear shoes," you note.
>Nicole lifted her head from the bed as she saw you enter.
>"Heheh, yeah..." she mumbled to herself.   "I can't even imagine high heels..."*
 
>Trying to be the good husband ou imagine you are, you walk over and drop yourself onto the bed next to her.
>A quick peck on the forehead seems to disintergrate all anxiety she had.
"You know," you start.  "Even with all that goes on, I can't imagine loving any other woman than yourself."
>Nicole looks into your eyes for a brief moment before her lips meet yours.
>"You know," she said.  "As much as I would love to have a normal family, it sure is nice to just come home and be the mother of the kids and the woman for you."
>Your lips met for a much longer duration than the previous kiss.
>From under the crack of your bedroom door, you can hear the snores of the children down the hall.
>How long have you been lying here?
>Doesn't matter.
>You look down at Nicole who's eyes peek up and lock with yours.
"You wanna?" you suggest.
>It was a good night.