Labor of Love Anthology: 10 Anecdotes of Love and the Struggles Within

by Aliyah Burke

  “No, you won’t,” she sighed, still not looking at him. “But that’s okay. I’m used to it.” Underwear in hand, she slammed the drawer closed.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” he challenged.

  How the hell this got turned around on him, he’d never know. “How did I mess up now, Monique?”

  She said nothing as he spoke. The distance between them was only a few feet, but it felt like a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon.

  “Baby, you know I can’t do anything about the schedule right now. This audit is kicking my ass at work. Plus, with the new boss coming on board, he’s got me running around more than usual.”

  His breathing was ragged as he stared at Monique. Her head was bent and her gaze was to the floor. She wasn’t fooling him. Not for one second. This wasn’t her “I’m sorry” look.

  It was her “I’m pissed right now and you should leave me alone” look. He scrubbed his hand down his face and glanced over his shoulder at the clock sitting on the nightstand. It was already ten minutes after seven. He needed to get moving and on the road, or else he’d be late.

  When he turned around to face Monique, he found her staring at him. Her eyes were shooting fire at him as she stared at him as he glanced at the clock.

  “Hmph. Well, I see you’re running late. Why don’t you take a shower first, so you can get out of here?”

  “Babe, wait…” he called out, but it was too late. She quickly grabbed the baby monitor and exited the room, walking downstairs.

  Brandon took a few steps forward, intent on following her, but stopped. Looking over his shoulder again, he knew he didn’t have much time to waste. There was a department meeting at nine and it took him more than an hour to get to work every day. Vacillating between going to his wife and getting ready for work, he knew he was about to make the wrong decision.

  Accepting that he was going to be in the doghouse—again—he took a deep breath and pursed his lips. Fuck it. Grabbing his stuff, he stormed into the bathroom and began getting ready for the office.

  Chapter Two

  Monique knew she shouldn’t be upset with Brandon. He had no idea about the struggle she was dealing with every day. God, she loved her husband so much, but there were times when he was clueless.

  Working from home each day as a freelance journalist, her time was spent all alone. Well, except for her beautiful children. Even with Michael in kindergarten for part of the day, her days were focused on raising and spending time with her babies.

  While Brandon was at his office, yakking it up with the guys and doing only God knew what all day, all she had was the silence of the house to keep her company. They’d hired a part-time nanny to come in and help with the children, which was both good and bad. Monique loved her career, but she also felt that she needed to be at home with her children. Working from home part-time was the only way she could manage to give herself the best of both worlds.

  Yesterday had been a difficult one for her and she’d really needed to talk to him about it. She felt they were slipping away from each other. Their life of details was beginning to suffocate her. Work, children, paying bills—those activities took up their days, and sometimes their nights.

  She’d needed to bare her soul—to talk to her husband. But his designated time to come home had come and gone. He’d called from the office to let her know he’d be home late and she understood that. She did. But it had been a tough day and she’d needed to talk with him.

  Brandon worked long hours and she appreciated what he did for his family. The stress of their situation wasn’t only her burden to bear. It was his as well. She could see the toll it took on him to be away from them for so long each day.

  They’d both been so young when she’d gotten pregnant. None of it had been planned and they’d been unprepared for the challenges that came with it. With some grit and determination, they’d come out better on the other side.

  Or so she’d always hoped.

  There were times she’d catch him staring at the children with a look on his face that she couldn’t understand. Whenever she'd asked him about it, he’d just brush it off as nothing. Part of her knew that things weren’t right with her and Brandon. She didn’t know what it was and that bothered her. Was he stressed about their situation? Did he resent the life he now had, with a wife and two young children?

  She could guess and hypothesize all day, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it until they actually talked about it. Sighing deeply, she accepted the truth. For the first time since they’d met all those years ago, she was afraid she was losing her husband.

  Things were hard for them, like any other young couple, but the burden of it hit Brandon harder. She knew this. A conversation the two of them had a few months ago had convinced her of it.

  “Baby, sometimes I feel helpless,” he admitted.

  Pulling out of his arms to look back at her gorgeous husband, she knew her face bore a look of shock. “Helpless? Why?”

  His eyes were sad as he lifted one hand to her face, cupping her jaw with his warm palm, “Because you do everything. You take care of me and the kids, all while still working and taking care of our home. There are moments when Michael wants to play with me or tell me about his day, or Alexis makes a new discovery, and I feel paralyzed. I feel like I’m playing catch-up all the time. I’m always working. Not arriving home until late at night. This isn’t the life I wanted for us. Not how I expected our first years to be.”

  “I don’t care how many hours you work. I know how much you love us. How much you’re doing for us,” she interrupted.

  “I know you say that, but it bothers me that I’m not here as much. That I can’t help as much as I want.”

  Snuggling back down in his arms, she pressed her back to his hard chest. “You do help. You do what must be done for us. For your family. That’s all that matters.”

  As she stood in the kitchen, she was frustrated. Not only at Brandon, but at herself. She was upset with her husband because he hadn’t known she wanted to talk to him last night. Thinking about her irrational response to his not knowing something she never communicated, she questioned what was going on in her head. Maybe she was going stir-crazy. Annoyance at something like this was not her style.

  If she wanted to talk to her husband, then she damn well needed to tell him. Stop playing these games with the man who worked day and night, and some weekends, to make sure they could live comfortably. They weren’t rich by any stretch of the meaning, but most everything they had was due to her husband.

  Because he’d graduated first, he was able to start working right away while she finished up her last year in school. He’d worked hard to be successful at the firm that had hired him right out of school. The late nights of studying for finals, taking care of a small baby, and trying not to be a burden on their parents seemed a lifetime ago.

  Leaning on each other for support, they made sure that when things got tough, they turned to one another. They had friends and loved ones, but they didn’t let anyone else inside their relationship or marriage. If work needed to be done to make sure they were doing okay, then they worked together. Always.

  Being married wasn’t easy. But once those rings went on their fingers, they were committed to this. To their family.

  She needed to get a grip. This was not how they handled things in the Rivera household. Her husband didn’t deserve the angry words and silent treatment she was giving him. Sighing deeply, she took a sip of her coffee. Her heart hurt as she recognized the feeling coursing through her. Guilt.

  Monique blamed herself for the state of their marriage. She felt that she’d taken something away from Brandon all those years ago.

  She’d been on birth control and since they’d both been tested, they no longer used condoms. Turns out, she was one of those women for whom even the most reliable forms of birth control didn’t always work. Voila! She was pregnant.

  Their lives had been taken off the rails within the blink of a
n eye. Brandon had been shocked at first. Hell, so had she. It had never entered her mind to end the pregnancy. That simply was not an option for her. They’d created a life out of the love they had for each other. Even if he’d walked away and never looked back, she would have still had her baby and showered him or her with all the love she could muster.

  But he hadn’t walked away. After the initial shock of her announcement, he’d immediately wrapped his strong arms around her still slim body. His whispered words of love and acceptance had broken her. He wanted her and their unborn baby. Tears flowed freely down her face as she stayed wrapped in his arms.

  As the two of them came to grips with how much their lives were going to change, they didn't move one inch. They held on to each other tightly, that action conveying more than any words could. Declarations of love and support were said, and they’d stood in that same spot for more than thirty minutes.

  “Hey baby, I’m about to head out.” His baritone voice broke into her thoughts.

  “Okay,” she responded. A small smile lifted her lips as she took in her husband’s appearance. Impeccably dressed, Brandon never failed to look like he’d just stepped out of a magazine. Slim, with just the right hint of muscles, his green eyes set against his tanned skin made her mouth water. Every time she looked at him, she fell in love with him all over again.

  Thinking about how she looked in contrast, she wanted to shrink in on herself and hide. Here she stood in her old cotton gown that had seen better days, her hair up in a scarf, and no makeup. Because she worked from home, there was no real need to get dressed up each day. There were times, though, like right now, that she compared her appearance to her husband’s. Inevitably, she would find herself lacking. She couldn't help but wonder what he thought when he looked at her.

  “I’ll be home early tonight,” he said, walking over to where she stood.

  “What’s early?” she questioned.

  “Before six. Everything should be done by four. I’ll do a few things to close out and then I’ll be home.” Leaning down to catch her gaze, he gave her a sexy smile. “Do you know how much I love you?” he asked.

  Pausing slightly before she answered, she nodded.

  “Say the word, baby. Do you know how much I love you?” he asked again, grabbing her face in his palms.

  Looking up at the man who held her heart and her dreams in his eyes, she felt her throat closing with emotion. She didn’t know what she’d do if he ever stopped loving her. “Yes. I know.”

  “I’m going to love you every day until I’m gone from this world. I never want you to forget that.” Leaning down, he kissed her forehead and then each of her eyes before planting a soft kiss on her lips.

  Reaching up to clasp his wrists in her hands, a low whimper escaped. His lips lingered on hers for a few seconds. The love she had for this man was unlike anything she’d ever known before. Her heart expanded to twice its size as she reveled in the touch of his skin to hers.

  “I know you will. And I love you right back. Nothing will change that.”

  “Damn right it won’t,” he chuckled. Pulling back, his gaze lingered on her face, as if he were looking for something. After a few moments, his eyes softened. “We’ll talk later, baby. This isn’t over.”

  Not understanding what he’d seen that prompted that statement, she opened her mouth to ask him what he was talking about when he shook his head.

  “No. This morning isn’t the time. But when I get home tonight, we’re gonna get this settled. I’ll call you later, baby. I love you.” Brandon grabbed the leather case that held his work laptop and other papers and strolled out the front door of their townhouse.

  Monique stood in the same spot for a few minutes after he’d left. Now what was she going to do? Clearly, he knew something was wrong and wasn’t going to let it go. In some ways, she didn’t know how to explain it herself.

  Finally getting moving, she cleaned up the kitchen and put all the dishes away. Just before eight o’clock, she heard her son moving around. Just like his father, Michael had always been an early riser. Drying her hands on the dishtowel, she walked out of the kitchen and made her way upstairs.

  Time to go on mommy duty.

  Chapter Three

  Brandon was dog-tired as he stepped out of the car.

  The day had quickly gotten out of control and he’d been pulled from one meeting to another. They’d brought in lunch for everyone since they didn’t want anyone to leave the office and not return. It was Friday, after all, and it had been a soul-crushing past few weeks. Twelve- to fourteen-hour workdays, including some weekends. Not getting much sleep at night. It had been hell.

  His job was good. He could do what he loved every day and for that, he was thankful. Finding a junior accountant role at a top five accounting firm right out of college had been a blessing. Not only for his career, but because he’d had a young family to take care of.

  Thinking back on how much they’d sacrificed all those years ago, he sent up his thanks for the blessings he’d received. Raised in a strict Catholic household, he was dead set on finding a good Catholic girl to marry and raise a family with.

  When he met Monique, he knew no matter what, she was the one for him. Her laugh was the first thing he’d heard, and it had caught his attention like nothing had before. He’d stopped in his tracks, looking for the source of that sound. Then he’d seen her face and he was a goner.

  All thoughts of what he envisioned his future would be had fled from his mind. His future was the young woman giving him a shy smile as he continued to stare at her. Positive he had a goofy plastered on his face, he still couldn’t break her gaze. Refused to. His feet moved of their own volition and he’d found himself standing in front of her.

  “Hi.” Wow, that was lame, he couldn’t help but think.

  “Hey.”

  “I’m Brandon.” His hand shot out, waiting for her to introduce herself. Maybe he should have just grabbed her in his arms and kissed her. All their friends had stopped talking and were now staring at them. Fuck ’em. He didn’t care. His future wife was standing in front of him.

  “Hi Brandon. I’m Monique,” she said with a smile. Her hand came to rest in his and he felt frozen. There was a zing of electricity that passed through them. Eyes going wide at the feelings, he also caught her taking a deep inhale. She’d felt it, too. The two of them were lost in their own world.

  People around them continued talking and laughing, commenting on the two seemingly love-struck people standing in the middle. Brandon knew he needed to say something else, but words failed him.

  “Would you like to go for a cup of coffee?” Startled by her question, he just stared at her for a few moments.

  “Coffee?” Her question was simple enough, but Brandon knew all the blood flow in his body had been redirected south.

  “Yes. You do drink coffee, right?”

  “Um, yeah, I drink coffee. Sorry. I lost my train of thought,” he answered honestly.

  “Is that good or bad?” she asked.

  “It depends,” he said with a smile.

  “On what?”

  “On you. I have to tell you, you are so fucking beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered. She turned her head to look over her shoulder and he followed her gaze. Two of her friends were staring at them, thumbs up, smiles wide. At least he knew they were rooting for them.

  “So, about that coffee?” he asked with a smile.

  From that moment, they’d been inseparable. Like had turned to love in a very short period of time. All their days—and nights—were spent with each other. Where one was, the other was sure to be close behind. Monique was the only woman he’d wanted from that moment on. Not just because she was beautiful, because by God, she was.

  The curve of her hips, the soft brown skin, her beautiful, expressive eyes, the thickness of her lips as he kissed her. There was nothing about her that he didn’t absolutely fucking love.

  But it was so much more th
an that. It was how she treated everyone who came in contact with her. The word “stranger” didn’t exist in her vocabulary. Everyone she met was her friend. When they’d been given the blessing of a child, he could admit that he’d been shocked at first. Thoughts had run through his head that he would be ashamed to admit today.

  Seeing the tears flow from her eyes when she’d told him the news had floored him. He’d put aside any questions he may have had to simply hold her in his arms. Even prior to that, he hadn’t planned on leaving her, ever, and a baby would not change that. It had only made them better, stronger.

  She was his wife and the mother of his two beautiful children. Nothing mattered more to him than his family. Nothing would come between them. Not even themselves. He wouldn’t allow it. He’d fight the devil himself if it meant he would keep his family intact.

  Opening the door to his home and walking inside, he glanced over at the wall clock and noticed that it was just after six. He was later than he wanted, but he was just glad to finally be at home.

  “Daddy! You’re home.” His son Michael caught sight of him and ran across the room. The tyke jumped into his arms, almost toppling him over.

  “Of course, I’m home. It’s the weekend and I missed hanging out with you guys,” he said in response to the pure joy on his son’s face. Now he felt like a heel. This was what he’d been missing. Probably why Monique was so upset with him. His son. His children. His wife. They missed him when he wasn’t home.

  Working long hours was how he stayed relevant at the office. It was how his boss measured who was committed to the team, often to the detriment of their home lives. Seeing the look of surprise in his son’s eyes that he was at home, his heart twisted in pain. His gaze traveled across the room and found Monique standing off to the side, holding Alexis as she struggled to get down. He knew she wanted to join in the fun, but this time was for Michael.