Perfection
by Diana
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters. No infringement intended.
Summary: Liz has a perfect life with a perfect husband. But who does she
dream about at night?
Category: Unconventional Couples
Rating: PG-13
Authors Note: Okay, Okay. I’m usually Michael/ Maria all the way. But you
just have to wonder why good girls like bad boys. Feedback is always
appreciated... Thanks to everyone who's sent me feedback on my other
stories :-D
Her life was perfect. She had the little house with the white picket fence
and two cars in the driveway. She had a wonderful, satisfying, high-paying
career. She had two-point-five kids and an adoring husband. Life was
absolutely perfect. She came home at six every evening. The twins, a son
and a daughter, would come downstairs to kiss her and put away the dishes
from their after-school snack, usually apples and peanut butter and milk.
They’d go back upstairs to do their homework and she’d go upstairs, change
out of her work clothes, change into her house clothes, and be back
downstairs in time to hear her husband’s keys rattling in the lock. He
arrived at six twenty every evening. He’d kiss her, change out of his work
clothes, and come back downstairs to help her start the meal. Dinner was
on the table by seven fifteen. Dessert was served at seven forty five.
Dishes were cleared and in the dishwasher by eight. The kids watched TV
until nine forty five and went upstairs to bed by ten. Her husband watched
TV with the kids while she was on the phone with her best friend. Her best
friend did not have a perfect life. Her best friend had the tiny apartment
with one dying red Jetta and one semi-new black truck out in the resident
parking lot. Her best friend was going to school part-time, and working
for an advertising agency the other part of the time. Her best friend was
six months pregnant and common-law-married to the baby’s father, who
incidentally happened to be her husband’s best friend. Her best friend’s
life was full of confusion and disorder. It was nothing like her life. It
was not nearly as perfect. She was off the phone and her husband had
finished watching television by eleven. They were both upstairs and in bed
by eleven ten. They kissed goodnight and the lights were out by eleven
fifteen. They were both asleep by eleven thirty. She used to dream of her
husband before they were married. She used to dream about the life they
would have together and the children they would have someday. Some nights,
she would dream that he would come to her. He’d take her in his arms and
kiss her and kiss her until she woke up in a sweat. She stopped dreaming
about her husband years ago. Now she had the life she dreamed about, she
had the children, and she had the husband who would come to her whenever
she called. She didn’t have to dream about it anymore.
Her best friend was lucky. Her best friend still had things to dream about. Her best friend
had a baby on the way and someone waiting for her at home who was not a
husband. He was nothing like her husband. But her husband and her best
friend loved him dearly. She didn’t think he liked her. He hardly talked
to her. All he did was look at her through those cold, dark eyes. She
dreamed about those eyes. In her dreams, she was not married and her best
didn’t exist. Her dreams were all the same now. He’d come to her in her
dreams. He wouldn’t even say anything, just stare at her with those dark
eyes of his. It made her uncomfortable but it made her feel so… She’d walk
up to him. He’d put his hand to her throat and she wouldn’t know whether
he was going to pull her closer or snap her neck. He’d run his hand up the
side of her face and rest it on her cheek. She’d look up at him and he’d
kiss her. He’d kiss her. He’d touch her face and her hair. She’d touch his
chest and loop her arms around his neck. He’d kiss her and all she wanted
was to be right there with him for always. He’d kiss her until their
kisses became more urgent and her hands and his hands would be everywhere
and he’d break the kiss and lay her down and look at her. She couldn’t
help calling out his name. “Michael…” His dark eyes flashed and he’d lean
in to kiss her again.
*** Her husband woke her the next morning. “Come on sleeping beauty,
you’ll be late for work.” It always took her a moment to realize that she
had been dreaming.
“Oh… Max. Good morning, honey.”
“Morning, Liz. You must have had some really good dreams last night. You were smiling in your sleep.” He grinned at her. She’d have to disengage herself from her
husband’s arms.
“Oh… yeah. It was just a dream, though. I can hardly
remember it.” Her husband would kiss her forehead and get out of their
bed.
“Still… must have been a good one.” They were up and dressed by
seven. The family ate breakfast together at seven fifteen. The kids had
eggs, toast, and milk. She and her husband had eggs, toast, and coffee.
The kids caught the bus at seven thirty. Her husband kissed her and left
for work at seven thirty two. By seven forty five, she was in her car, on
the way to work, thinking about what she could serve for dinner that
night. Her best friend, Maria, and her whatever-he-was, Michael, were
coming over for dinner that night. At seven fifty, she remembered her
dream again. But she shrugged it off. It meant nothing. After all, it was
only a dream. She pulled into her designated parking space by eight.
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