Love Hurts by Brenda Grate

left. Anna just looked down and headed for her desk. They could just keep on wondering.
     

Chapter 9

    Jilly’s friend Amanda would soon arrive for their coffee date and the house looked terrible. Jilly threw an armload of clothes in front of the washing machine and closed the laundry room door. She raced around the house, picking up Matthew’s toys and Gregg’s clothes and stuffing them wherever she could find a hiding spot. She had gotten so caught up in a novel that she hadn’t noticed the time flying by, and now it was almost too late to fix anything.
     
    Jilly had taken the week off work and kept Matthew home from daycare. She’d enjoyed the break. Maybe a little too much.
     
    “Mommy,” Matthew’s voice called out from his bedroom where he should have been taking a nap. Jilly gritted her teeth.
     
    “What Matthew? Mommy’s busy right now,” she called to him as she went into the kitchen to deal with the mess from lunch.
     
    “I need a drink,” he called back, his voice plaintive.
     
    Jilly let out a huff of frustration, grabbed a glass and filled it from the water cooler. She opened his door, tripped over a stuffed alligator in the doorway and spilled the entire glass of water on Matthew’s carpet.
     
    “Shit!”
     
    Matthew shot up in his bed. “Mommy said a bad word.”
     
    Jilly silently counted to five and when she could control her voice said, “Sorry, honey. Mommy didn’t mean to. I’ll get you more water.”
     
    Matthew put his arms out to her. “It’s okay, Mommy. I don’t need water. Just a hug.”
     
    As she gazed at her son’s loving face, the messy house, spilled water, and soon-to-arrive guest didn’t matter. She had a son who loved her no matter what she did, and he became the most important thing in her life at that moment. Jilly sat on the edge of Matthew’s bed and pulled him into her arms. His warm body wrapped around hers and he tucked his soft hair under her chin. Within a minute he’d gone limp. She kissed his hair, put him in his bed and tucked his Spiderman blanket under his chin. He had only been in her life for four years, but he had become more important to her than air.  
     
    Jilly answered the door with a smile, amazed at how Matthew could change her mood in an instant.
     

     
    Amanda had gone, Matthew still slept, and Gregg hadn’t yet come home from work. The house needed cleaning, dinner needed preparing and there were any number of other little chores she should have been doing, but Jilly instead picked up the novel from where she’d tossed it earlier. She convinced herself that she would only read a few pages and then she’d get all the other things done.
     
    The door opened, and Jilly looked up in shock. She knew with perfect clarity that she’d read long past her few pages, and Gregg was even late coming home from work. Shit! Gregg will be mad.
     
    Jilly tucked the novel under the couch and got up, scrambling for an excuse. Gregg came around the corner and saw her standing in the middle of the living room.
     
    “Hey honey, how was your day?”
     
    “Fine.”
     
    Gregg pulled her into his arms and gave her a thorough kiss. “Missed you.”
     
    “Me too,” Jilly smiled into Gregg’s dark brown eyes. “I’m sorry dinner isn’t ready yet.”
     
    “Ah, that’s okay. Want some help?” Gregg dropped his briefcase beside the sofa and turned toward the kitchen.  
     
    Jilly shook her head. Why, even after all these years, did she still act as though Gregg would treat her badly, when he was always understanding and kind? What is wrong with me?
     
    They cooked dinner side-by-side until Matthew came out of his bedroom with sleepy eyes. Jilly instantly felt guilty that she’d let him sleep so long. Gregg must have anticipated it because he said, “Nice that you let him sleep later today. I can spend more time with him tonight. I don’t have to go to work so early tomorrow.”
     
    “Daddy!” Matthew ran to Gregg and launched