The Good Wife

Early one morning this week my phone was ringing. Well, since I was in the middle of a phone call already, it really only beeped in my ear.

The caller ID appeared on our television screen with Brad's office number.

My heart stopped. Brad calls me twice a day. Once on his lunch hour and once to tell me he is on his way home. My heart stopped that morning because the only reason he would have for calling me at any other hour of the day was to tell me his work schedule would be changing.

Yes, I have received these phone calls several times. I have been told to cancel or change plans and prepare myself for him being gone for the next two weeks or working all weekend or switching to third shift for the next month. I have even gotten one telling me he was on his way home that instant to pack to leave on a road trip ASAP. These are not welcome phone calls to me.

However, as I answered with trepidation that morning, Brad just chuckled and said everyhting was fine. He didn't have his cell phone and wanted to let me know it. I found it still plugged in at the counter in our kitchen (he attached the empty holder to his belt though-crazy man)and even though I didn't really want to the words somehow squeezed their way up my throat and out of my mouth.

"Do you want me to drop it off to you later?"

What?! WHAT!? Hey, crazy hormonal pregnant lady! Didn't you already decide-last night!-that today would be a jammie day? The only day this week I didn't have to get dressed and worry about how I look and I offered to go out. The only day I didn't have a doctor appointment or test at the hospital or shopping to do or people to see and I could stay in my pj's and not have to do my hair or makeup or anything (Yes, Brad's a lucky guy-I know) and I was making plans to leave. Brad replied in the best way possible.

"I could meet you and take you guys to lunch"

Hmmm...throw a free meal out at this pregnant chick and I am already planning in my head what my child and I will be wearing that day :)

So, Caroline and I met the daddy man for lunch at a restaurant not far from his office. My luck that day doubled when I found out the special of the day was the fact it was "Mexican Tuesday". SCORE! We got free bottomless chips and salsa and about ten specials to choose from.

I of course ordered one of them for me and el nino, my favorite dish to be exact and felt embarrassed just ordering after reading the description. One and a half pounds of food were on their way to me. No I didn't even eat a 1/4 of it. But, I was looking forward to it.

When they placed this huge platter in front of me I wanted to crawl under the table. Really? Talk about pigging out, lady. After preparing Caroline's food for her I went to pick up my fork and knife to cut into my feast. It was then that I heard the words I had always wanted to hear come from my husband's lips. Well, after 'lets do lunch'.

My husband looked at me, got a HUGE smile on his face, kind of groaned and said "now, that makes me proud".

He was talking about ME!!

....and my humongous lunch....

Hmmmmm I took it as the compliment he meant it as but couldn't help but tease him about it.

He will be the first to admit that he never knows what to say in any situation. He really doesn't.

I have always striven to make him proud. By the way I act, the things I do, how I look and even how I show my love for him. One of my love languages (go get the book, NOW) is words of affirmation so after I strive to do all those things I long for affirmation of course. It has rarely ever been spoken though. I know he loves me he is just bad at putting his feelings of adoration and awe for me into words :)

So, I had to take this chest puffing moment of pride for him for what it was worth. He was only being the man he knew how to be and I loved him for it.

I had married him (and looked like the most beautiful princess on our wedding day) and in the last three years I have managed to keep his household running, organized our bills and budgets, made sure he had clean clothes weekly, a clean house to come home to relax to, and in my spare time I had carried and delivered a perfectly beautiful little girl for him and was standing on the doorstep of given him another child. Heck, I've even surprised him with my mad shopping skills by taking our grocery bill down by nearly $40 one week with my use of coupons and sales. I kick butt, people.

But, on our lunch date he was so happy to be with me. I loved being with him and how much he was making me laugh. I decided I would go home and get rid of all my makeup, hair tools, perfumes, jewelry, fancy clothes and never touch my cleaning supplies again. After all I had made my husband proud.

As long as I eat a meat stuffed concoction the size of my thigh (which, remember I did NOT finsh) he'll be proud of me.

His pride and obvious love and admiration for me made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Well it was either that or indigestion.....

I've made my husband proud :)