A distant winter sun hung low over the tree tops. Carla stepped out onto her suburban driveway and closed the car door loudly. She wanted to make her husband aware of her own arrival. It was, after all, Valentine’s Day, and the first since their wedding. She adjusted her red cardigan and gently combed a hand through her hair, imagining what Ben was doing at that very moment.

She pictured him carefully arranging the kitchen table with various red and pink décor, as he had five years earlier. There had been a teddy bear holding a rose- maybe he was bringing that back. Maybe there would be rose petals leading into the bedroom, and candles lit, the wafting fragrance of vanilla only masked by the smell of a steak dinner he would be preparing. Maybe there would be concert tickets waiting for her, a callback to their third year. At the very least, he could be waiting at the door with a card. After all, he did work that day was well, though from the comfort of home.

            Upon walking through the front door, she was surprised to find no one waiting to greet her. In fact, all of the lights in the house were off except that of his office. Ben was there, enraptured by the violence of a video game. He glanced over at Carla, now a few feet away, and addressed her without any further deviations from the tv.

            “Oh, hey, babe,” he said. “How was work?”

            “It was fine. How long have you been done?”

            “An hour or two, I think.”

            “You don’t know?”

            “Not sure. Why does it matter?”

            “No reason, I guess.” There’s still hope, she thought. “So, uh, what are we doing for dinner?”

            Ben’s mouth parted, a clear sign of being caught off-guard. “Well, you thawed out those steaks last night. Weren’t you planning on making those?”

            “I guess so,” Carla said with a sigh. “I just thought tonight was going to be a little special, that’s all. You know, it being Valentine’s and all.”

            Ben laughed. “Oh. that. We’re married, now. We don’t need to do that anymore!”

            A single eyebrow raised. “Is that so?”

            “Yeah, we’re not dating anymore. You’ve got me locked down. Ha.”

            “Okay,” Carla said, walking out of the room. I can’t believe this.

            An hour later, the couple was sitting on the couch watching Ben’s favorite show and finishing the steak dinners that Carla had prepared. In the corner of her eye, she could see her husband’s focus had shifted to her direction. Here it comes, she thought. Just as predicted, a hand had landed on her leg, and his lips had made their way to her neck. She allowed him a moment of friskiness before stopping his hand from going any further up her thigh.

            “Slow down, there, Romeo. Let me clear these plates and stuff.” Ben whispered some provocative lines into her ear, and started kissing her neck again, undeterred. “No,” his wife said. Be patient.” After that, he eased back and handed her his plate. She took it into the kitchen with her own, and was greeted by her husband’s embrace in the living room.

            “How did I get so lucky?” he mused. “You’re such a smoke show.” He began caressing her again, his hands moving down her body like rain running down a windshield.

            “Hold on,” Carla said. “I’ve got an idea. Stay here, and close your eyes.”

            Ben’s face perked up at the sound of that. He did as she asked.

            A moment later, he felt his wife’s hand take his.

“Keep those eyes closed,” she said. “No peeking!”

Excitement flooded his veins as she led him provocatively from the couch. Something seemed off, though. The path to the bedroom should have been different. They came to a stop, and she commanded him to open his eyes. He was standing in front of the kitchen sink, which was chock-full of dishes.

“What the hell?” he asked. “Really, babe?”

“Oh, yes.”

“I thought we were gonna…you know…”

Carla smiled. “Oh, that? We’re married, hon. We don’t need to do that anymore.”