Chapter 34 Standing Up For Us

John took Anna’s hand and pulled her into his arms. “I should have done better. I’m sorry.”
‘You tried,” Anna said quietly wrapping her arms around him. “We just need to get them both to back off.”
“Our lives would certainly be better.” John agreed. “It just seems like one thing after another in fact I’m surprised that my mother didn’t try to convince you to not come to work here.”
“Why is that?” Anna said curiously.
“Well, when we got married she said that she thought women should be at home and not working.”
“How very 1950’s of her.” Anna said as she smiled at John, “but that sounds like something she’d say.”
“Yeah I guess so, she always stayed home with us and was fine with it. So I’m not surprised that she wanted you to do the same.”
“Well thank God I married a modern man and not some caveman.”
“Actually when we first got married and she suggested it I thought she was right.” John said as he sat down on the couch and patted the couch next to him.
“Why would you think that?” Anna said in surprise as she sat down.
“I guess I saw it firsthand growing up and thought that a woman’s place is in the home, not at work.”
“How did I miss this when we got married?” Anna said in a low voice, her cheeks pink with irritation, “Do you still think that now?”
John looked away and Anna felt herself go from irritation to anger. Why in the hell would you give me a job here if you feel that way?” Anna said turning to him and glaring.
“I don’t feel that way. I realized that all marriages are different and that just because something worked for my father and mother it didn’t mean it had to work for us. That’s why I offered you a position here. I believe in you and your abilities and I want you to be a part of this.”
“But you didn’t’ when we married? You let your mother steam roll over you?”
John had the decency to look ashamed as he met her eyes. “I’m sorry, I was used to deferring to my mother when we married and I thought my parent’s marriage was perfect. As time has gone by I have begun to realize that it wasn’t.”
“And now?”
“Now I see that you are a woman who is smart and intelligent and should be valued. I underestimated you.”
Anna felt her anger draining away as he pulled her into his lap. She loved him and realized that letting go of a lifelong habit took time. She could see that he was trying and growing and she loved that about him. She felt her heart unthaw as he hesitantly smiled at her.
“You did huh? What are you going to do to make it up to me?”
“I thought you might want to get started on a special project.”
“Wait, I don’t want any kind of special treatment remember? We were doing so well too.”
John smiled at her and kissed her gently. “I think you are ready to learn some new things and I know that Stella thinks so too. She called me after she met you this morning and asked if she could put you on the Rathmore Restaurant account.”
“Wow,” Anna said pulling back “The Rathmore is kind of a big advertising account, why me?”
“She said she saw something in you that she liked, she said you reminded her of herself when she was young.”
“How so?”
“You are hungry to learn and grow.”
“That is a huge endorsement, I just started.”
“She has a great eye for talent.”
“Won’t people say I got the account because I’m your wife?” Anna asked as they took the elevator down to her office.
“I’m sure they will,” John said with a final kiss before the elevator door closed to take him back up to his floor, “but it is up to you to prove them wrong.”
Anna smiled as she watched him wink as the door closed and whisked him away. She turned to her office door and saw Isabel step out of the shadows a cruel smile on her face.
“What did I do to deserve this?” Anna thought as she marched toward Isabel, “what else can go wrong today."