Sealed With A Vow

Chapter 7- Away From Home

Derek's POV

It was six in the morning and I was getting ready for my three-day business trip with Ashley up in San Francisco. We were supposed to meet each other at the airport in half an hour.

After I finished putting on my suit, I double-checked to make sure that I had all of the hotel project documents in my suitcase. If one paper was missing, then the whole trip would be pointless. That's how important they were.

Before heading downstairs, I walked over to my wife's room to see if she happened to be awake. I gently opened the door and just like I had expected, she was still fast asleep.

Her arm was dangling off the mattress and I couldn't help but smile to myself. Claire looked so cute and innocent when she slept, almost like a child.

In fact, she was one at heart. Just last week, we were driving back home from a baby shower for my friend Landon's wife, and we saw this one lady walking her dog in our neighborhood.

And you know what my wife did? She made me turn the car back around just so she could catch another glimpse of it. Apparently, it had been the "most adorable little puppy wuppy" she'd ever seen. I mean, what on earth was a 'wuppy'?

Then Claire went on and on about how she'd always wanted a dog but couldn't buy one because her mother had been allergic.

I kind of felt sorry for her. I mean, what was a childhood without having a dog? I used to own a golden retriever myself named, Hank, growing up and I loved him to pieces, especially since I had no siblings.

Apart from her love of dogs, I also discovered that Claire liked to engage in food fights. She'd told me that a few days ago, her friends- Lexi and Charlotte- had come over and they'd all decided to bake cupcakes.

But instead, the three of them ended up chucking the batter at each other. And as for the frosting, they had also used it for their little "war", too.

I had come home from work that night to find Claire passed out on the couch, with pink frosting all over her shirt. It was a sight I'd never forget.

I shut her bedroom door then went downstairs, carrying my suitcase with me. Since I was running a bit late, I decided to just grab a quick coffee at Starbucks on my way to the airport.

A half hour later, I was walking out of the long-term parking lot where I had left my car. On Tuesday, I'd just drive it home instead of having to take the taxi.

I met up with Ashley at the check-in counter and soon, we were on the plane to San Francisco. The flight itself would only take about an hour.

"I had so much fun last night," Ashley remarked as I was on my phone scrolling through emails.

"I did, too."

"Oh, and I gotta tell you something. When I saw your wife, I definitely did not expect her to look like that."

"What do you mean?", I asked, not quite understanding what she was trying to say.

"She's very pretty," Ashley stated.

"I know."

"But I'm prettier," she said flirtatiously, pointing a finger at my chest.

I chuckled then Ashley let out a yawn as she rested her head on my shoulder. Her eyelids slowly closed, and I guessed that she was probably trying to get some sleep.

My mind wandered to last night, and the first thing that popped into my head was how breathtaking Claire had looked in her evening dress. The word, 'beautiful', simply didn't do her justice.