Killing Me Softly (#Wattys2016)

SEVENTY-TWO

SEVENTY-TWO

Paula stepped back to admire her work. The white tufts of carpet gleamed and the scent of water lilies from the shampoo mixed with the roast cooking in the oven. She smiled as she hauled the steamer back into the laundry room and started humming. She stopped. She'd never done that before. She shook her head and smiled, elated as she realized she didn't need the vitamins anymore. She wanted to wait a few days before she told Phillip. She knew he only did what he thought was right. She just didn't need them anymore. Surely, he would be happy to know all his good work had enabled her to feel better than she ever had.

She still didn't believe that Cindy Cross woman that one of her vitamins was to keep her from getting pregnant. Paula shook her head. Like she had a medical degree. Paula pulled out her roast to baste it before shoving it back into the oven. She went to the pantry to pull down her ingredients for the peach cobbler they would have for dessert that night. The buzzer on the dryer sounded and Paula loaded her laundry basket with Phillip's shirts and khakis. She tiptoed across the still-damp carpet to the bedroom and turned the basket over on the bed. She went to grab a handful of hangers out of the closet and frowned as she looked at the plastic hanger in her hand. Had she always used plastic? Didn't she use wooden hangers once? Paula looked over at her side of the closet and had another flash as she looked at the array of housedresses. She blinked as an image of a long white coat with black piping flashed across her mind. Paula shook her head to wipe away the image.

"Silly," she mumbled as she quickly hung up Phillip's clothes. She'd iron everything later. Paula headed back to the kitchen to start work on her peach cobbler.