It was a long, boring day at work. I had never wanted to get home quite so badly as I did that day. Luckily, dinner was in the slow cooker so at least I could go home and unwind and not have to worry about cooking a meal, first. The kids were also not going till be home till late, between babysitting & practice, so we’d actually have some time alone. Nice.
I beat Fred home, but I wasn’t surprised - he normally didn’t make it home until an hour after me. Longer day, longer commute. He left before me each morning, too. The hard worker that he was, I don’t think he even minded the longer workdays. I would have.
I came home, and stripped. I didn’t normally have the luxury, but when the family is away, the wife will play. I checked the food in the slow cooker and shut it off, and jumped into the shower. As soon as the hard water hit my tired, achy body I decided what I really wanted was a soak. I shut off the overhead flow of water and began to fill the bathtub. I climbed out of the tub, dripping water all over the floor, and bent over the sink to try to find some bubble bath. It wasn’t anything I normally kept around the house, but I bet my daughter had some. She always soaked before going out on a date. Ah, to be 16 again.
I found the bubbles and the scent of raspberries began to fill the room. I dug out a bath pillow and lit a few Yankee Candles and climbed back into the tub. The water was steaming hot and I started to sweat from all of the moisture in the room. God, it felt good to be alone.
I found an old radio in the closet and dragged it into the bathroom, right inside the entrance and plugged it in, far away from the tub. Classical music began to sound in the room.
I slowly, very careful starting inching my way into the water. I turned the water down a bit and slowed down the rate of water filling in the tub. It was still too hot to climb in all the way. I grabbed a wash cloth, and dipped it into the water before squeezing some body wash onto it, breathing deep the soapy scent that lingered in the air.
I started soaping myself off, still standing up in the tub. I shut off the water completely then. Soap ran off my body into water. I lifted up each arm in turn and soaped. I lifted up each breast and began to wash them too, and smiled. I was still pretty darn good looking considered I had given birth to three children. Thank you, Mom. I got her brains and her body, and not the heavy-set genes on my father’s side.
I finally slipped into the tub and closed my eyes. I just laid in the tub and let the water lap around my body. Our cat began meowing and peaked over the tub to look at me. He didn’t like me being in the water, away from him one bit. Wasn’t used to me taking the time to do such a thing. I normally took a 5-minute shower with the kids pounding on the door, yelling for their turn. And usually a cold shower, at that, to save the really hot water for them.