Pulling into the driveway after a long shift is often the best part of my day. It's finally a time where I can relax and enjoy my time as a husband and father. Luckily, it had been slow in the office and I got to leave early enough to surprise my girls for dinner. I'd stopped on the way home, picked up a pizza and even a small bunch of flowers for Jen. I'd been so busy this week, we had hardly seen each other, and I greatly looked forward to spending time with them both.
I put the car in park and hopped out, gathering the food and flowers, slinging my work bag over my shoulder. Stopping at the mailbox on the way in, I collected the days post, and pushed the front door open.
There are few things like the pleasure of a two-year-old yelling your name and running to give you a hug. I set everything on the ground scooped her up, giving her a kiss before she scurried off, already on to the next thing in her mind. I heard Jen rummaging around in a kitchen drawer.
"Hey you! You're home early!" she yelled, in a cheery voice.
"Yeah, it was slow, I thought I'd thought I'd come home and see my ladies." I picked everything up off the ground and went to the kitchen. Jen came over and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.
"Oooo Pizza. That sounds good."
I pulled the flowers from behind my back. "My lady."
"AH HA! And flowers hmm? Look at you!" She came close again, giving them a sniff. "They're beautiful, thank you love." A second kiss, this time lingering, her tongue touching my lips as I gave her ass a squeeze, pulling her to me. I gave her a little growl.
"Those squats are working." I compliment her.
Jen went to get some plates and drinks to set the table, and I scanned the mail I had grabbed on my way in. Flipping through, the normal useless advertisements and coupons went straight in the trash bin. Telephone bill? Ugh, it seems like we had just paid it last week. The last letter is thicker and in a larger envelope. I had the seal of the county court office on the front. Hopefully not jury duty, that's the last thing I need right now.
I slide my finger in the top and tear across the fold, opening the letter. It's about ten pages, folded. Opening it up, I see it's a court summons, for debts unpaid?
"Hey Jen, you know what this is about?"
She turns from the fridge, filling two glasses with ice water. "What what's about?"
I keep reading, flipping through a few of the pages.
"We got a letter from the county court that say we owe $8,100 to something called Burkshire Credit?"
I wasn't overly concerned, assuming it was a mistake of some kind. I'd never heard of the company. Not concerned that is, until I turned and saw Jen frozen in place, her face gone white. She looked down at the floor immediately, and saying nothing, walked to the table and set the glasses down. She turned and slowly faced back in my direction.
"I'm sure it's some kind of mistake, I'll go call them and see if they just put the wrong address in or something." I say, walking over to get my phone off the counter.
"It's not a mistake."
She almost whispers it.
"What do you mean. There's a bill in here for over $8,000, for stuff over the last...almost two years."
Her silence was almost deafening. Her already slight frame seemed to shrink even more as she sat at the table.
"I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you, and I thought I could take care of it."
