One of the nicest things about living in North Carolina is that John’s work is only four miles away, and it only takes about four minutes to get there. Well, more like ten, but not forty like it would in Atlanta. He also gets to come home for lunch everyday. Not only does this save us money, but John gets to rest a little and debrief with ESPN before he goes back to finish the day.
It’s even nicer in the summer because I am home when he comes home from lunch and we get to have lunch together. I always try to schedule my errands around his lunch time so that I am home when he gets home. I only have two months to see him during the day, so I don’t want to waste any of them if I can help it.
I usually have lunch ready for us. After we eat, he lays down in my lap on the sofa so that I can rub his head and scratch his back. Technically, per the doctor’s orders, he is supposed to have a nap every day. Of course in the real world this isn’t possible, so this is our alternative. John is a little spoiled, but he is quite deserving of it (most of the time). I like to tease him and call him “rotten”.
When John gets home from work it’s pretty much the same routine. Now-a-days I need to have everything done that I need to get done before he gets home. His days are long and exhausting, so when he comes home all I want him to do is sit. Typically he is very helpful around the house – cooks, empties the dishwasher, takes out the trash – but for this season he only has one job – to get better and allow his heart to keep him strong until his new one comes.
Sometimes we take a nap when he gets home before dinner. Neither of us usually fall asleep, but it’s nice to just lay down. Most of the time we eat, clean up, and then it’s back to the same routine as at lunch. John lays in my lap, and I rub his head and back until it’s time to go to bed. Again, he’s rotten, but the good kind of rotten.
At times the day-in and day-out is exhausting for me and frustrating for him. However, it is a time that we cherish. We have the opportunity to slow down and really focus on each other, our home, and our life together. All of the distractions have been temporarily put on hold. These are precious memories that we will look back on when life gets hectic again and say, “Remember when all we did was sit around and hold each other?”
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