Social Battery

Elaine had just finished taking a last drag of her steak as they arrived at the mansion. She slumped on the couch and let out a sigh. “I’m so tired,” she complained.

“You made us exhausted. Ghost market? I’ve never seen anyone as hilarious as you, doll.”
He squatted in front of her and pushed the few strands of her hair on her face backward.

“Ughhhh. My social battery is out already. I interacted with a lot of people today.”

He raised a brow, noticing the sarcasm in her tone. “So I’m now a lot of people?” Because for all he could remember, she didn’t have much on her plates today. She only went to work for a few hours before he arrived at her workplace and got her for dinner.

“Just you alone, Xavier, you’re like ten people.”

“Tell me you’re joking.”

“I’m not. You give me so much headache especially when you refuse me on something.”

“Then I’m not going to refuse you anymore,” he said almost instantly.

“Please don’t. That would solve my headache.” She threw her head back to the headrest of the chair and let out slow puffy breaths. “God, I’m exhausted.”

Xavier shook his head and with a smile, he gathered her in his embrace and carried her princess-style, forcing her hands to wrap around his neck tightly.

“What are you doing? Do you want to trouble me further?”

“Shh. I’ll just prepare a bath for the both of us. You can relax your muscles.”

“Good, good, husband.” She pulled his head to herself and delivered kisses around his face. “You know exactly what I want.”

Finally, they got to the room and he carried her directly to the bathroom, letting her stand on her feet while he bent to prepare the bath.

“Bath bomb?” He raised his head to ask.

Elaine shook her head in the negative. “Not needed.” She just wanted to lay in the bath and relax her sore muscles. A massage from her husband wouldn’t hurt too.

Once Xavier finished preparing the bath, he looked over at his wife before beginning to take his tie and shoes off. “You want me to undress you too?” He shot her a glare.

“As a good doting husband that you are, shouldn’t you do everything for me? I’m waiting.” She leaned over the wall. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he kicked his pants and boxers to the side and strode toward her, placing his hands beside her on the wall and pinning her in.

“Or you want me to do more than undress, hmm?”

“Xavier, just undress me already.”

“Sure, princess.”

He took his hands backward and untied the bow tie by her waist and then unzipped her dress, letting it fall to a pool on her legs and she was left with just her panties.

“Let’s get into the bath,” he suggested.

“But you’re not done undressing me.”

“Elaine.” He leaned closer to her ears and whispered. “We both know what will happen if you take out this piece of material. You’re tired. Come, I’ll give you a massage.”

Xavier dipped his legs into the water and settled on it before pulling her in with him, letting her sit on the relaxing warm water with her back to his chest. He took out the wash from the side of the bathtub and poured a decent amount on her back and neck before his hands began to do their job of massaging her entire body.

When he got to her front, she placed her head on his chest and welcomed the sleep that pulled her in.

*****
The obnoxious sound of early morning bantering from downstairs woke Elaine up from her supposed beauty sleep- her real rest after so long. She let out a groan of frustration as she sat on the end, her hair falling over her face like an angry bird nest.

“What the hell is with the noise?” She pondered. She’d planned to sleep until she couldn’t feel her eyes anymore and now, she was awoken by annoying male and female voices.

She rose from the bed, pulling the strap of her nightdress back on her shoulder, and like a zombie who had eyes half closed and half opened, she walked outside the room, making her way down the stairs until she got to the living room. She looked to her left and then to the right, finally realizing where the noise had come from. The kitchen.

“Elaine, dear. You’re finally awake.” Elaine’s eyes fell on the people sitting at the breakfast table as she stepped into the kitchen. Her mother-in-law stepped toward her and held her palm. “You look like you haven’t had a good night's rest. Has my son been overworking you?”

“Mother, you’re here.”

She forced her eyes open fully to avert her gaze from her mother-in-law to Xavier and then to the woman who was seated opposite Xavier, her eyes gazing at the table before her. Elaine’s eyes grew wide. Margaret? It was a pleasant yet unpleasant surprise to see Margaret in their home- not only in their home but sitting with Xavier in the same chair.

Although they looked like they could murder each other at that moment, they still sat together, waiting for dinner to be served.

“It’s a surprising sight to you too, right?” Mrs Romano said as she led her to sit beside Xavier. “Xavier and Margaret together. I'm thinking of going to the local church and giving an hour-long testament.”

“Testimony,” Margaret corrected.

“Whatever.”

“Can we just eat?” Margaret spoke, her voice rising.

Elaine, who still was finding it hard to process the new day in her head, placed her head on Xavier’s shoulder and closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of his cologne. How was it that he woke up without her, had his bath, and even got dressed for the day yet she didn’t wake up?

She was beginning to sleep like a log of wood again. It was just like it was when she was pregnant months ago. Her body was way tired and she felt too heavy to even carry herself properly.

“Don’t raise your voice. My wife here doesn’t need screams from a certain banshee.”

“Did you just call me a banshee? It’s my fault for not marrying right.” She gazed at the both of them in envy.

Before Xavier could get the chance to throw a word of insult at her, Mrs. Romano smacked his head from behind and then placed the large bowl of garlic-sauced pasta on the table, the delicious aroma filling the kitchen and even made Elaine pull away from her husband and started at the door, her mouth-watering.

“You know that you’re still young and have enough time to date someone, right, Margi? It’s not too late yet,” she advised.

“Date someone?” It sounded like a joke to Margaret’s ears.

Elaine who finally got a hold of herself shook her head in agreement. “I agree with mother. It would be better if you find someone else.” She was a beautiful woman after all.

“Y’all want me to date someone? At my age? Don’t forget that I have a son almost as old as me. It would be so embarrassing watching his mother date.”

“I don’t think it will. It’s your happiness after all.”

“Wait…. You’re not mad at me? Or at Xavier?” Margaret asked.

“Why?”

“That he agreed to a truce with me. I did a lot of wrong things to you in the past. I did things that I shouldn't have done all because I was too greedy and I wanted my son to have a good life.”

Everyone’s attention fled to her. “It’s fine. I understand.”

“I know that I might not gain anyone’s trust ever again but I’ll do my best to prove my sincerity to this family.”

The women had emotional expressions on their faces and they both took one of Margaret’s hands each and patted them slowly. The only person with an unimpressed expression was Xavier. He had his legs crossed before him, his eyes on the food as he paid Margaret no attention.

“When you’re done sulking, find your way to the door.”

“Xavier,” Elaine reprimanded. “Be nice.”

“Trust me, I am. Or else, we would be sitting together.”

Elaine shook her head in disappointment at him and cast an apologetic look at Margaret. Margaret only just shrugged and continued. “It’s fine. I know how bratty my little brother can be.”

Xavier scoffed.

“I’m finally letting Jimmy be whatever he wants to become. He’s a grown-ass man and I cannot keep him close to me for long. Since he’s decided to fly in the wrong direction, I can’t say anything.”

“It’s going to be fine.” The two women sympathize with Margaret. And Xavier? He scoffed and began to serve food on his and his wife’s plate like they were the only people in the kitchen.

“By the way mother, who makes pasta for breakfast?”