Joneses – 10.3 Discussions

Despite Eliza’s illness, she powered through the case she was working on and managed to put herself in a prime position to catch the criminal the next day. After working another long, crazy yet hyper productive day, she came home and found Bob in front of the TV as she often did. She was so busy she didn’t even finish her lunch and had it for dinner.

“Good evening, Robert.”

He looked at her plate like it was diseased. “What’s that?”

“Oh…my lunch. I know it’s rubbish, but I shouldn’t let it go to waste.”

“That kind of day, huh?”

She nodded. “I’m so close, Robert!”

He loved how excited she got when she was accomplishing something.

Although she didn’t want to bring their discussion down, there was something she needed to ask and treaded lightly. “How was Breanne today?”

“She was good.”

Eliza exhaled her anxieties.

“She keeps talking about having an early birthday,” he said.

“Oh?” This was the first she had heard of this. It made her happy that their daughter confided in him but also a wee bit jealous that she didn’t confide in her in the same way.

“Yeah. She’s been going on about it for a few days now, actually. I mean…I dunno. It’s only eight days away. She should just wait, right?” Making major decisions on his own wasn’t something he was used to and hoped his wife would decide.

Eliza took a few moments to think about it as she chewed and swallowed the tasteless goop. “Well… That isn’t such a terrible idea after all.” She took another mouthful.

“Don’t you think she’s a little… Uhhh…don’t you think she needs to mature a bit more?”

“Well, of course, but this is the perfect opportunity for that! She’s been in that Whiz Kid program at school, but she hasn’t been diligent with the work. We should tell her that she can have an early birthday if she completes all of the requirements.”

Bob nodded approvingly.

“It’s a great situation all around. Giving her a goal to accomplish in a tight time frame will teach her about persistence, perseverance, and how hard work pays off. And of course, completing the program will guarantee her placement in the gifted program in high school!”

“That’s a great plan, Lizzie.”

As smart and confident as she was, she always appreciated his encouragement. She felt warm and giddy inside as she finished her poor excuse for dinner. “Where is she now?”

“Outside making potions.”

“Oh, good! See? She’s already working toward the goal and doesn’t even realize it.”

There was something about the way Bob was looking at her that made her fall apart inside. His smile was so warm, and pride exuded from every pore. She felt like the most favored woman in the world. There weren’t many times that Breanne busied herself with something not related to them. This rare moment had to be seized. “I…” Even though their relationship had improved dramatically over the past few months, Eliza was still not comfortable initiating suggestive conversations with her husband. She appreciated his boldness in that area while she struggled with awkwardness and vulnerability. “I had a stressful day,” she said in hopes he’d catch on.

He did catch on. He knew her very well and never missed a hint. “I can help you with that…”

They ran upstairs like two horny teenagers. However, they got a bit carried away, and a while later their fun came to a crashing halt.