My husband and I used to have what’s called a commuter marriage. It was actually pretty common pre-COVID. I even wrote a story about a bunch of couples that made working and living apart much of the time a success. In our case, Liam travelled most of the week to his company headquarters in Iowa. Liam has always travelled a lot—over the years we’ve found ways to make the distance work for us. Being together has always felt special and exciting. Now, seven months into this pandemic, Liam works remotely from Chicago and neither one of us goes much of anywhere. We are together ALL the time. I love my husband and enjoy our newfound closeness, but this girl still needs some time alone!
This week I got my wish, and now I have a couple nights to do exactly what I want, when I want. Let the wanton self-indulgence begin. Dinner consists of buttered noodles and salad at 5pm while watching funny YouTube videos and guffawing with a mouth full of spinach. Then it’s time to beautify—take a Epsom salts bath, do my nails, whiten my teeth, get out the magnifying mirror and pluck a few random hairs off my face. I just potter around, do a little reading, maybe write in my journal. When it gets late, I don’t have to tiptoe around my sleeping husband. I can take a bag of crunchy snacks, a glass of wine and the puppy over to his side of the bed and watch Dead to Me or Outlander until I fall asleep. Little stuff, but it’s a luxury to indulge freely in my whims and desires without having to consider the needs of my mate. When Liam gets back I know we’ll be thrilled to see each other. Although he may not appreciate the popcorn kernels under his pillow.
Style Challengers 