She sank onto the edge of the couch, burying her face in her hands. “I didn’t mean for it to be a secret.
It just… happened, and I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“For extra money. That’s it. I promise you, Tom, there’s no other man.”
“What?” I asked.
“You’re making arrangements? Like… as a business?”
She nodded quickly. “I started a few months ago.
It’s just that we’ve been so tight on money lately, and I didn’t want to add to your stress. So, I thought… maybe I could do something small, something just for me, to help out.”
“But why didn’t you tell me, Megan? Why all the secrecy?”
“Because I know you, Tom,” she began.
“You’d tell me not to worry, and that we’d figure it out together. But I didn’t want you to have to figure it out. I wanted to do this on my own.
Leo wandered in at that moment, clutching his stuffed dinosaur. “Mommy, are you crying?” he asked. Megan smiled and hugged him tightly.
“Oh, no, sweetheart. I’m okay. Mommy’s just talking to Daddy about something important.”
He frowned.
“Is it about the man with the flowers?”
I crouched beside them, resting a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Buddy, that man doesn’t bring Mommy flowers for himself,” I told him. “He’s just helping her with her work.
Right, Megan?”
“That’s right,” she nodded. “Mommy’s been making flowers for people who want pretty bouquets.”
That’s so cool!”
His innocent enthusiasm eased some of the tension, and Megan let out a soft laugh. “Okay,” I said after a moment, standing back up. “So, who are these flowers for?”
Megan looked at the bouquet for a moment.
“Well, I don’t know. I told the shop I wasn’t working today.”
I picked up the small card tucked into the bouquet and handed it to her. “Maybe this will clear things up.”
“Let’s see,” she said while opening the card.
Her eyes widened when she read the message inside. “To Megan, the best wife and mother,” she read aloud. “Thank you for everything you do for us.
Love, Tom and Leo.”
She looked up at me. “You… you did this?”Continue reading…
