Love Lies Waiting

It isn't every day this happens, where the slave becomes completely fed up and does the exact opposite of what her Owner demands of her.  It just wasn't working, and each week that passed seemed to make things worse or they got worse all by themselves.  It's obvious 2016 isn't finished screwing with us and being apart was too great.  It began when He called and said that He might not be able to make it for Christmas after all.  He is beyond stressed at this point between work, and everything else that's gone wrong since summertime.  

After hanging up the phone mouse sat in her kitchen contemplating what if anything she could do.  Only one thought continued to circled her mind.  We need to move.  We need to move to where he is, because nothing works now.  In the garage still folded and stacked from summer, were many boxes and just like that mouse began filling them.  The next day she went to the school to explain the situation and they contacted the old school.  School records were sent and registration forms faxed, filled out and faxed back.  All in all, the whole process took maybe ninety minutes.  

The peanut gallery had no complaints at all, pizza and junk foods helped.  

Then movers were called, and surprisingly fate was with us, instead of having to wait weeks, they could handle our move within a few short days.  That didn't give mouse a lot of time, but quickly wrote the check anyway.  No looking back.  

Days passed with only a few words from Omega, which has been the common thing lately. He's been divided between work, hospitals and other places for too long.  It's not that he's forgotten about us, or is out having fun, he's exhausted.  He's living in a house that has furniture essentially in two rooms, his study and the main bedroom.  Yes, mouse kept all this from him. 

Yes, it sounds crazy, it sounds horrible but he's lost his ability to rationally think this through. There's no excuse that makes what mouse did right, except it was the right thing to do.  

Omega lost his ability to be objective.  

There, it's been said.  

No way could any of this been accomplished in a such a short time without the help of Lucy and Schroeder, who immediately jumped in to help, going far above and beyond -- which included moving the piano.  Really you can't say much more than that.  He organized the extra hands needed and drove the truck himself -- taking his own time off from his busy holiday schedule to help us.  

Like that, things were falling into place and mouse held her breath because it all seemed too easy -- nothing this year has gone this well and yeah, mouse took it all as a huge sign that this was supposed to happen.  

We arrived on a bitterly cold Tuesday, just last week.  Lucy set to work helping with unpacking, while mouse directed kids and animals, not to mention the movers to where things needed to go.  Kids did their part of unpacking their bedrooms and mouse set to work organizing her things.  By afternoon, most everything was in place.  It took us longer to move out than back.  Details were put in place, pictures and paintings rehung on their hooks left behind, it fell together so easily mouse marveled over it.  

By the afternoon the refrigerator was completely restocked with plenty of food and by evening, soup was bubbling on the stove that didn't come from a can and a chicken was roasting in the oven.  Schroeder brought a Christmas tree to give the kids something to do.  There were some casualties, a few broken ornaments (one quite special) and three broken dishes.  

Nervously mouse waited, and Omega still unaware.  It was around that time mouse began considering the enormity of what she'd done.  Would he be pissed?  What would the reaction be?  For once, mouse hoped for silence.  Or happiness...that would be good.  

He got home late that evening, and paused after opening the door.  Dogs ran to greet him, just like any night.  Candles lit, Christmas Tree glowing, kids smiling screaming "Daddy's Home".  

He was quiet, processing as he looked around the house at the furniture that surely wasn't there that morning when he left.  

"How?" 

That was the only word he could manage as he picked up his daughter and hoisted her up into the air. Then listened to the kids prattling on (which mouse was totally grateful for).  

He sat at the table, he ate a hot meal but didn't say much more.  He was still processing it all.  The kids chattered about getting an extra long winter break and excited to see old friends.  That might have been when it struck him this was permanent. 

Later that evening he asked again, "How?"  Not why just how.  

So mouse quickly explained that she got lucky and prattled through the whole thing.  Then he said to start over slower this time.  So mouse recounted the whole thing.  Lucy, Schroeder, and everyone that helped make this happen.  We couldn't be apart any longer.  Who knows how long this all will last and Omega needs help.  He doesn't want to admit it but he does need some support.  Lucy has mouse's back, but who has his?  Who can he lean on?  

Without any flinching or stammering,  mouse simply told him, "I took back my power, and I know it's wrong. I should have told you but you would have said no, like you've been saying for months now, and if you want to punish me for this, well, I'll see you on Thursday."

He said nothing.  Bedtime finally came and we went to bed with mouse kneeling beside the bed, asking permission.  He just flipped back the blankets.  Really couldn't tell what he was thinking.

In the morning he let mouse sleep in, showered and made his own coffee.

When she woke a few hours later, body still aching from from the more, mouse found a note from him.

• Call the housekeeper and arrange for her to start coming in biweekly again.  
• Call the cleaning service and handyman to come out to the lake house to ready it for winter. The number can be found in my book in the study.
• You might want to call the cable company to reinstate beyond basic cable.  
• Buy our friends a bottle of Bourbon to thank them.  

Then he added, a "welcome home" to the bottom.

Later after completing her short list and letting him know it was finished, we did finally talk and he caught mouse up on everything that's been going on.  The unedited version.  It was so much more worse than mouse originally thought and he was actually happy to have us home.  He just didn't know what to say, but said it was completely overwhelming for him.  He felt loved.

He later explained better, it wasn't that he didn't want us to come back, the reality was that he's wanted it for a while, but he didn't want to deal with moving us back.  It was just one more thing he didn't have time to deal with and now he really didn't have to worry about it.