Writing Prompt #1: Lazy Day

Prompt: “What is your favorite way to spend a lazy day?”

 

I creaked open the door trying to be as quiet as possible which isn’t an easy task when you live in an old farmhouse. I poked my head inside to see a mostly dark room. I could make out the silhouette of my wife, Barbara. The sound of her snoring confirmed that she was asleep. Of course in her mind, she never snored, but I know that when she’s really tired after a long day of dealing with three screaming kids, she snores.

I chuckle to myself making a barely audible coughing sound. I navigate through the dark room to my dresser. I take off my work clothes starting with the tie and dress shirts followed by kicking off my dress shoes. I change into some comfy pajama bottoms and step over the pile of dirty clothes on the floor. I’ll pick them up tomorrow on my day off.

I slipped into bed doing my best to not disturb my sleeping wife. Of course, I’m sure a train wreck wouldn’t wake her up at this point. I lay there too tired to keep my eyes fully open but my brain was still buzzing. I had just pulled a long shift in the office tonight finishing up with all the paperwork I had due on Monday. We had been way behind due to the holiday season and my boss had tasked me with getting everything up-to-date and filed correctly, which had led to several long nights. Fortunately for me, I had managed to get the rest of it done tonight leaving me with a weekend devoid of paperwork. My plans involved sleep, Netflix, ordering pizza, and not much else. No work. No obligations. Just a lazy, “me day.”

I smiled at myself as I pulled the edge of the blankets away from Barbara and snuggled up next to her. I tried my best to cover myself with a tenth of the blankets she left me and drifted off to sleep.

 

BEEP BEEP

 

 

I woke up and managed to peel my eyes open to see my alarm clock flashing 6:00. I reached out and hit the snooze button and rolled over. I was determined to sleep in. I rolled over trying to get comfortable again and I saw Barbara messing with her hair. She was getting ready for something important, that I could tell right away. But I also had a feeling she was late for that important thing. She was all over the place. Her makeup was half done, she had on two different shoes, and she was trying to brush her hair with a hair brush in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other hand.

I was about to close my eyes when her eyes caught mine in the reflection of her vanity.

“Charlie, you can’t be late to work again. Get up! I swear, you’re as bad as the kids. I can’t deal with you being sluggish this morning too.”

I groaned a little as I try to take everything she said. It was a blur of words that my mind wasn’t awake enough to comprehend. “No honey. No work today,” was all I could manage.

“What?” She asked turning to me.

I sat up rubbing my eyes. “I don’t have to go to work today. I pulled a late shift and got it all caught up last night. I was going to take a nice day off.”

“You don’t have to go to work,” She said more focused on her make-up than my words.

“Yes. That’s what I’m saying.”

“Thank goodness. Now I don’t have to worry about taking Maggie to soccer then.”

“Soccer? No sweetie, I was going to take a day off. Order some pizza, catch up on some Netflix –“

I stopped mid-sentence as she gave me a death stare in the vanity’s mirror.

“Charlie I need some help around here today. I’m already rushing around trying to get ready for this dumb job interview. Maggie needs to go to soccer, Connor needs to go to marching band practice, and I promised Mom I’d drop off Luke so they could have a day together. She’s always pestering me to see him more and we didn’t get to spend Christmas with them this year. And –“

“Alright, alright!” I said and hung my head in defeat.

“Thank you,” She said. “Now what do you think of my outfit. Is it ‘business casual’ enough? What even is business casual?”

She stood up and gestured to her black and white polka-dot dress and gray sweater.

“Aren’t you going to be cold?”

“We’re having the job interview in some coffee shop or something. Who ever heard of a job interview at a coffee shop?”

“Right. Crazy stuff.” I yawned pulling off the covers. I stood up and stretched with another yawn.

She gave this smirk and kissed me on the cheek. “Love you. And thank you. If you need something, just call.”

“Will do.”

Barbara grabbed her purse and car keys off the bedside table and darted quickly for the front door.

“You know you’re wearing two different shoes, right!?” I called after her.