As I stepped through the front door, anxiety washed over me like prickly heat. The assured confidence and empowerment I had felt earlier in the day began to fade around the edges. I had been so confident about my actions when it happened, but my moral compass flickered as I entered our marital home, suggesting that I had done something wrong.
My husband smiled warmly when he met me in the hallway, but I sensed something was off with him, too. There was an awkwardness between us, as if we had become strangers in the hours of my absence. His strained expression blended love, regret, and shame - not a delightful combination to boost my confidence.
Robert hugged me and held my hand almost desperately.
"Hi, Rebecca. How was Karl?"
"Hello, Robert. Let's go upstairs and talk, sweetheart."
"Okay."
In our bedroom, I kissed him softly and held his hand, wringing his trembling fingers, anxious, wondering if I'd done the right thing.
He wanted this, not me.
But it felt so right, and now it feels so fucking wrong.
I flipped off my stiletto heels while my husband stared thoughtfully at the floor. I waited for him to mull everything over and consider his position while rubbing the back of his hand with my thumb, trembling from head to toe.
Eventually, Robert summoned the courage to look at my face. He pursed his lips, and his eyes sparked like a lightning rod when struck - his manifestation of jealousy.
He looks uncertain and jealous.
Oh fuck! What have we done?
Robert's eyes narrowed, and his brow furrowed as he prepared to ask a question, the answer of which I feared he may not like. When his voice croaked, my heart thumped loudly, so damn loud that I thought it might crack a rib or explode. My mouth was parched, as were my lips, until I licked them.
He coughed, wet his lips, and took a deep breath.
"Did you do it, Rebecca?"
"Yes, honey."
"May I see, please?"
"Of course."
With shaking fingers, I lifted my dress hem. Robert's eyes sparkled excitedly as he stared at my thighs. His cheeks burned, and his chest heaved as it fed a choking sound at the back of his throat.
My husband was suffering the most significant dilemma of his life.