Differences

part seventeen - humble delights

It had become a routine of sorts, to wait for Max at home. Almost to the point that she craved some type of side job.

They moved a month ago into a new state, no longer were they in Arizona anymore. But she got use to the new area quickly, enjoying the weather and the scenery as always. Yet those were the things she held onto that she loved, she never took a piece of her old home with her. As long as Max was with her, he was the only home she would need.

Tessa still had children on her mind and so did Max, even though they had the time and were using it to the best of their ability. It was hard for Tessa to even conceive a child, not that she couldn't, it was just that it was common in her family for the woman to take a while before a child is even born. But apparently, after the first child, they all start coming if you don't take precautions.

The new home they had was small, but big enough for only the both of them. She never felt like a sardine in a can here like she did at her parent's house. There she roamed around and would enjoy the little things about their humble abode. 

Every day she enjoyed a cup of tea in the morning, occasionally she would have coffee if Max suggested so. But she wasn't a regular in the world of coffee, she just enjoyed the delectable taste of warm tea as it slid down her throat. It never tasted bitter to her like coffee could at times, although she did have a favorite within the blueberry coffee category. And creamer was her best friend. 

In the mornings she'd lounge around after Max would leave and she'd nap, the whole time thinking about when Max would return. Her body would be tangled into the blanket and sheets and she would wake up almost everyday at noon and set into her routine. 

The laundry would get done, whatever cleaning was needed would be completed. She always took care of the chores first, the idea of any sort of mess disgusted her to the point that she would get a large migraine thinking about it all day and when she could clean it. Tessa would never let Max come home to a dirty house, she wouldn't even want to come home to a mess. 

After all of that, she'd enjoy her afternoon TV shows and would regularly check through the jobs classifieds section on Craigslist or search for part time gigs on the internet. She needed something to do, even once or twice a week would do good. Something that she would enjoy, she did see a few interesting ads. One where she could be an assistant librarian for once a week, or take up a receptionist position at a small business. 

But the cons and pros of that battled against each other, she wanted to work with books. Books basically were the building blocks of her childhood along with her escape from reality. An assistant librarian position wouldn't be too bad, maybe Max would be okay with the idea of her getting out there and doing something? She was taking her online classes for a Criminal Justice degree.

At the end of the day, she'd anticipate Max's coming home. To be able to see him, she always grew giddy with excitement.

But tonight, she was so excited that she stayed on the couch closest to the door. Ready to jump him the moment he walked through the door, he'd be tired, sometimes he came home in a bad mood. But she always did her best to fix it. Hopefully his day had went well, she wanted to enjoy dinner and a movie tonight since tomorrow he had the day off. 

It was an hour later when she became completely aware after dozing off a little, a click at the door meant that the lock had been undone and she began to stand up as the door opened. 

In a split moment, she launched herself into his arms and hugged him tightly. It was as if she hadn't seen him in days, when it reality, he had only left 12 hours ago. It was common to shower his face with kisses and greet him with the love he deserved. Max just made her so happy, he always gave her what she needed and she always made sure that he knew that she appreciated it.

After the greeting, he'd let her go and move to the bedroom, getting into comfier clothes. Once he didn't even bother with changing out of his clothes and had landed on the bed exhausted, when she walked in he was already a sleep. But this time, he walked in, in just his pajama bottoms. 

And that night, they did what she wanted. They enjoyed dinner, she made rice and pork chops, one of her own favorite meals. Tomorrow night would be his turn to pick dinner. 

Then they settled in their bed after he took a shower, searching for a movie to watch on TV. It was during those moments where everything was just so normal and felt so natural that she appreciated it. Sometimes, she wouldn't even think about it.

But right now she did, she thought about how much she loved him and would do anything for him. How she basically left her old life behind to have a life with him. She never regretted any moment, even when they argued or she got frustrated. Tessa never thought of this whole thing as a mistake.

Like most times, she caught herself analyzing his facial features and body. He looked tired from today, but he appeared content. The lines around his eyes were barely there, but they were there. Signalling that he was getting older. And his eyes were brighter, more aware of their surroundings. 

He had grown and changed from the boy she knew to now. 

His skin had even gotten darker, it was a beautiful shade that she admired constantly. 

They both had grown to appreciate the little things in life and to embrace the changes that came their way. Life with Max was amazing, and it would get even more exciting soon.