Thesis postcard--Chores Shmores--(PG)
“Stop lookin’ at me that way!”
She knew, of course, Aaron would do no such thing, and by the grin creeping on his face, she was proven right. Jada groaned and continued to put the laundry in the dressers in the children’s room.
Their sons were at Deshae’s for the afternoon so she and Aaron could get the house ready for his parents’ arrival the next day. However, Aaron wasn’t keeping up his end of the bargain, always ending up wherever she was doing some chore instead of doing his own.
Now she understood why it was so hard to get Joshua and Charles to do their chores!
“It’s not my fault you’re so beautiful . . .”
Jada turned her back to prevent him from seeing her blush. She didn’t think she looked all that fetching sporting a pair of sweatpants (his) and a large t-shirt (also his), not to mention the bandana on her head (Big Malcolm’s, but she’d borrowed it from Deshae at some point) and ashy hands because she’d just finished washing dishes. It wasn’t as if they didn’t have a dishwasher, but Jada thought it was silly to let the two plates and three cups sit in a large, empty machine when the Dawn and her two hands worked just as well.
“Have you been to the optometrist lately? I think you need to get your eyes checked-”
“No,” he said as she heard him rise. His arms closed around her waist and he nuzzled her neck. “I don’t. You’re flawless, Jada.”
Jada smiled, stuffing socks in the drawer before closing it and leaning against Aaron. He was solid and warm; his kisses were light and soft; his hands were doing delicious things to her not-so-flat tummy underneath the t-shirt. Her eyes closed when his lips found her temple, and he took a deep breath.
“I like the apple blossom scent of the soap . . . or is dryer sheets?”
Jada laughed and turned, hugging him fully to her. He kissed her head and returned the embrace, his large hand rubbing up and down her back. The thin cotton couldn’t shield her from the warmth of it, and Jada was glad it didn’t. She wanted Aaron to envelope her whole.
“Only you could make someone feel beautiful as they do domestic work,” Jada murmured underneath his earlobe.
“Well, you make it easy; you’re beautiful whatever you do.”
She chuckled. “I doubt I was giving birth-”
“Especially then,” Aaron countered, pressing a small kiss on her lips. “Never were you more beautiful than giving birth to my sons.”
Jada smiled again and kissed his lips, then patted his bum and pushed him away from her. “Back to work, McKensie.”
“I’m done.”
“Can’t be done. I never heard the vacuum going downstairs . . . don’t make me call Aunt Lucy here-”
“That’s just mean!” Aaron said with a small pout. “All I want to do is spend time with my wife and you’re going to call the clean queen on me?!”
Jada picked up the basket full of laundry and left the children’s room, Aaron hot on her heels as she went to theirs. She began folding clothes and placing them on the bed, Aaron watching her from the doorframe.
“This is the first time in months we’ve had the house to ourselves-”
“And your parents are coming tomorrow,” Jada said, a large, deep green towel stretched out in front of her as she folded it neatly. Aaron groaned and came to her side, helping her fold their linens.
“I just want to be with you . . .”
She was so close to caving, but, “If you’da vacuumed . . .” His lips were in the crook of her neck and he brought her closer to him. He wasn’t playing fair . . . at all . . . but Jada giggled into his shoulder before slapping it and pulling back. He knew she had a sensitive neck “Behave.”
“I do believe I’m allowed to kiss my wife, love,” he said with a grin, pulling her back (willingly) in his arms.
Jada knew a compromise was in order. “If you vacuum, we can cuddle in the media room and watch a movie, and I’ll let you pick it . . .”
Aaron’s eyes lit up at the proposition. “Any movie?”
Jada nodded. “Any movie.”
“The Terminator!” Jada tried very hard to keep the horror out of her eyes, but knew she’d failed when he began to laugh and kissed her languidly on the mouth. “How about Lady and the Tramp then? I know it’s one of your favorites . . .”
Jada’s eyes lit up this time and she pressed a chaste kiss to his mouth, once again reminded of why she married this man. “See you in thirty?”
“No, baby,” he whispered against her mouth. “Fifteen. I want as much cuddle time as I can get!” He gave her one last kiss before leaving the room and Jada smiled.
There was no way he could vacuum the living room in fifteen minutes . . . but it would be cute to see him try.
Then again, what a McKensie wanted, a McKensie usually got.
Jada grinned. She was looking forward to a clean house and cuddle time with her husband.