It's glaringly evident to Cora the second that her husband crosses the threshold that he's had a significantly stressful day at work today. Her chest aches as she painstakingly takes in Andrew's appearance, immediately recognizing his desperate need for a distraction from whatever is ailing him. The telltale signs scream her name with fervor, unrelentingly pleading for instantaneous relief. "Andrew?" Cora says, maintaining a pleasant demeanor to the best of her ability; however, the raging hormones inflicted by the late stage of her pregnancy provoke a remarkable and unprecedented challenge to containing her true feelings.
Slowly, Andrew's gaze travels across the entryway before roaming over his wife's form. At the sight of her, he instantly eases the creases on his face, shifting his frown into a watery smile as he masks his grief in a display of his profound love for her. Andrew wholeheartedly wishes to keep Cora removed entirely from the exigent complications of his mistakes. An unknown emotion flickers through Cora's eyes as she carefully returns the gesture, but only briefly before she manages to conceal it, trading it instead for her typical caring and cheerful appearance. A sharp pang shoots through her heart, the sight of her beloved husband so unraveled before her exceptionally multiplying her distress.
Dropping his briefcase to the floor without care, Andrew takes long strides toward his wife. Swiftly, he wraps Cora in his arms, holding her impossibly close. As he buries his face in the crook of her shoulder, Andrew breathes deeply, inhaling Cora's delicately feminine scent. "I missed you," he mumbles into her neck, his words getting lost against her soft skin.
Gently returning the embrace, Cora lovingly runs her hands over Andrew's back. The tension in his muscles is not a surprise to her, considering the overall state of his appearance; however, it fades slightly beneath her fingertips. "Let's get you out of this suit," Cora insists, carefully removing herself from his grasp and taking him by the hand.
Leading him to the living room, Cora dutifully extracts her husband from his jacket and tie, releasing the top buttons on his dress shirt as she does so. She nudges Andrew's side, gesturing toward the couch in a silent plea. Cora is unsure of her voice, urging it not to crack as she tries to remain strong, begging her consciousness not to further upset Andrew in his apparent time of need. 'Now is not the time for tears,' she tells herself, hoping that her unbalanced hormones will cooperate.
Andrew follows the wordless instructions with a sigh, his body sinking into the plush cushion. He doesn't say anything, aware that it isn't yet his turn to speak. Cora has something on her mind, and he understands that it's best to allow her to proceed at her own pace, considering her fragile condition. He waits silently, his troubled eyes watching his precious wife carefully. Andrew fervently hopes whatever is inconveniencing her will be effortlessly repairable; seeing her so helplessly fraying before him is an excruciating pain that he hopes he'll never have to bear witness to again.
"Will you tell me about it?" asks Cora, her tone light and almost airy as her hands begin skillfully massaging Andrew's shoulders. It surprises him; he had been expecting uncontrollable ears in its place.
"Just... a rough day at work," Andrew mutters, closing his eyes as he leans into the touch, allowing his tension to dissolve under his wife's hands. "I feel as if I haven't been giving it my all lately," he adds, the overwhelming need to spill his guts to the woman he loves temporarily rendering him stupid. He can't tell her what is bothering him; she can't know about Maria. What is he doing?
"Is it... the pregnancy?" Cora questions carefully, her voice trembling slightly and her fingers still probing the stiff muscles in an attempt to relax them. She hadn't intended to get choked up; she wanted to uphold the appearance of being unshakeable. However, it seems her body has other plans.
Andrew's eyes snap open at the hesitancy in her voice, instantly noting the underlying concern that somehow, she and their baby are to blame. In a fluid motion, he turns to Cora, gripping her hands in his. "No," he replies without uncertainty, his tone leaving no room for argument or doubt. "You and our baby are the greatest things that have ever happened to me," Andrew assures, his eyes imploring her to accept the answer as truth.
After a short moment, Cora nods slightly, shakily exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Andrew's words are exactly what she needed to ease her mind.
Pulling his wife into his lap, he cradles her against his chest. "It's the nightmares," he whispers into her blonde hair. "They're back."
Comforting him in the only way she knows how to, Cora tenderly runs a hand through Andrew's hair before pressing her forehead against his. "I know," she murmurs, looking deeply into the hazel eyes she memorized long ago. The unbridled pain held within them seizes her heart.
"I think I'm going to lose my first case," Andrew confides, his fear apparent, the pressure to maintain his streak and the insufferable fear of failure bearing heavily down on his shoulders.
"I believe in you," reassures Cora, the sincerity and love behind the simple statement rumbling through both of their bodies. "If anyone can win the case, it's you. You are Andrew Dalton, after all."
The corners of Andrew's lips twitch timidly before slowly turning upward into a smile that spreads lazily across his face. "I'm lucky to have you," he informs her, smiling broadly as he affectionately caresses his nose against Cora's.
"I know," she replies straight-faced.
Simultaneously, the two erupt into laughter, relishing the closeness of the moment. Andrew's heart soars at the recognition that such a simple exchange with Cora can lighten all that troubles him. Resigning himself, he falls headfirst into the rippling waters of love, immersing himself entirely in Cora.
For now, there's only the two of them, utterly encapsulated in each other. And that's precisely how Andrew likes it.
YOU ARE READING
Picture Perfect
Mystery / ThrillerAndrew Dalton has always aspired to have the picture-perfect life. From his car to his job to his marriage, the man works hard to maintain the image of perfection-- but sometimes, things are not as they seem. When unexpected events occur, circumstan...
