The Tens, Vanessa Jones [i like reading books .TXT] 📗

'I made it in school and it's one of the only stereotypically manly things I have ever done, so I'm hanging onto it for a bit longer.' He would explain, whenever she poked fun at it.

Sophie was grateful that he made a big deal about the soup so she could continue to find ways to abate her shame, hidden under the decor of mundane evening tasks. The washing up. Emptying the bins. Throwing shoes back into the cupboard. Besides, they were textbook for each other and she was loathed to upset that with her petty neuroticisms. Which she noticed were becoming more frequent, thanks to ageing and lack of sleep. Ever since her thirtieth birthday, she'd been having the nightmares more and her sleep suffered. Which then translated into irrational thoughts and moods during the day and Sophie was gravely afraid it would all spill over into the groove of bliss that she'd created with Alex.

CHAPTER TWO

When she lifted her head from her pillow, she spotted a damp imprint and tried to rub it off. Flinging back the covers, she shuffled out of bed, leaving her sleeping husband behind.

Alex entered the kitchen a little while later in his pyjamas and looked across to Sophie who was in her nightdress and dressing gown, sipping coffee and looking forlornly across their backyard.

‘Nightmare again?’ Alex asked.

‘Every night since I turned thirty,’ Sophie replied.

‘Aww, hun. White rock again?’

‘Always. Are you going to be late home from work again tonight?’

‘I don’t intend to but you know… it’s work.’ Alex shrugged and accepted the cup of coffee that Sophie poured for him.

‘I thought I’d take the day off. Hopefully get some energy back.’

‘Painting today?’ He asked her. The question seemed innocent. But to Sophie, it was loaded. Real or imagined.

Sophie sighed and said ‘I’m going to try. I feel so blocked ever since I turned thirty. Is this just what happens when you get old?

Alex laughed and hugged Sophie, ‘Probably! Maybe you just need some decent sleep?’

‘Who doesn’t?’

‘True. I gotta get ready for work.’ He kissed her on the cheek and left her alone with her coffee.

By the time evening swept in, Sophie was still in her sleepwear from the morning. Worriedly checking the clock and then the window to see if her Alex had arrived home from work yet. Passing a framed photo of them happily embracing, she smiled to herself. She kissed two of her fingers and pressed them against the photo just as Alex walked in and the air became heavy with Sophie’s suspicion.

‘Sorry, Soph. Work was…’ Alex rushes in, arms full of papers, his discarded tie and apologies.

But Sophie points to the backyard. ‘Did you see that?’

‘What?’

‘Something flew across the yard.’

‘Flew? Like a bird?’

‘More like whipped across the yard.’ Sophie’s panic started to rise, especially as Alex wasn’t taking her seriously.

‘What do you mean? Can you talk sense please?’

‘Alex! I think someone is out there. Or a large animal or something.’

‘Like a bear?’ Alex mocked her.

‘Yes! I'm serious.’

Alex shuffled past her impatiently and dumped his keys and briefcase on the kitchen bench. ‘It's not a bear.’

Sophie caught up to him and wobbled his shoulder back and forth. ‘Why aren't you listening to me? I'm scared.’

‘Okay. I'm sorry. I'll go check.’

‘Please. But be careful. It could be an intruder. Or something dangerous. I don't feel good about this.’ Sophie wiped her hand across her stomach nervously as Alex exited to investigate. He came back quicker than Sophie would have liked.

‘Honestly Sophie, there is nothing out there. Are you tired?’

Gritting her teeth, Sophie said ‘there may not be anything now but I swear I saw something out there. There's no way I imagined it.’

'Okay, okay. I'm not suggesting you're making it up or anything,' with the very tone that implied that he did. 'But perhaps it was a trick of the light?'

‘Or, perhaps, it's some junkie about to stab us in our sleep. But sure, it's the light.’

‘I know you're scared Soph but that's no reason to get mad at me. We're safe, nothing will happen! Let’s go to bed, hun.’

Sophie obliged but slyly took note that Alex double-checked the lock on the door before coming to bed. As she lay in bed she stared at the ceiling whilst Alex removed his work clothes and got in beside her.

‘Honey, I’m really worried about you. Things seem a little off-kilter. Maybe it’s time you go to the doctor? Or have a spa day with Bree?’

‘Bree hasn’t returned my calls for weeks. I have no idea why she is ignoring me. Anyway, I don’t know her that well. Perhaps she decided she wasn’t that interested in being friends with me anyway.’

‘She’s probably busy. I wouldn’t worry too much. Book the doctor and see what they have to say. Til then, let’s get some sleep, hey?’ He leant across and kissed her goodnight.

CHAPTER THREE

A noisy cacophony of birds woke Sophie up. She groaned at being awoken by them when she desperately needed more sleep. Risking an eye open, she searched for her phone to check the time. She rolled over to discover Alex’s side of the bed empty. Smiling to herself, she knew that Alex was probably up making her coffee at that very moment.

Wandering into the kitchen with the doona wrapped around her, she spied that the kitchen was empty. ‘Alex? Honey?’ Sophie called out. The birds finally had quietened down a little.

Shuffling over to the kitchen bench with her doona around her shoulders like a cape, Sophie reached for the folded paper on the benchtop. Picking it up was instinctive. You see a folded note, you pick it up to read. The action was so automatic that she forgot to be anxious about what it would mean. But then she read the sparse words of Alex’s handwriting: ‘I have to leave you. I’m so sorry. X’

Sophie gingerly placed the note back down on the countertop where