The Marriage Contract

Marriage Contract

1. There is no physical contact unless in an urgent situation and no more than a hug.
2. Not sleeping in the same room!
3. Household chores are carried out together.
4. Respect each other's privacy.
5. Both parties are obliged to maintain the continuity of the marriage relationship as much as possible.
6. The things above can be added, reduced, or canceled with the agreement of both parties.

Signed

Helena and Aaron

Aaron smiled to himself while reading Helena's handwritten screenshot of what she called a marriage contract. His finger scrolled to enlarge the image until it was clear. It was as clear as their conversation before dinner last night. Indeed, he was the one who put forward the idea of ​​discussing their future relationship, which he didn't know ended up in a marriage contract.

Aaron's smile gradually turned into a small laugh. He enjoyed the enthusiasm Helena showed when she wrote these clauses. He could take it, except for one thing that was removed from the list. No interaction unless necessary. How did two people who were living together do it? Were they both robots who could survive by not talking to each other? Helena's suggestion was strange.

Then his eyes turned to the walk-in closet, which was also filled with Helena's various items. Yes, the belongings she brought had been there, even though the owner of the goods wasn't in the same room. As agreed, Helena slept in another room.

Aaron was a little disappointed with the woman's decision. Undeniably, his heart always wanted to be close to his wife, as before when Helena was within his sight. However, he couldn't do much. For the moment, Helena wanted it, and he would make it happen.

Then, how was his hatred for her? Humans are not entities whose feelings can be compartmentalized easily. Human emotions are complex. It was as complicated as Aaron's feelings for Helena. However, there was still a hint of a disappointment for the woman. And he behaved as he wished. There was no pretense because he could never really pull it off.

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Aaron walked down the stairs while buttoning his shirt sleeves. His head turned left and right. There was no one on the first floor. However, his eyes could see the appearance of the food on the kitchen table. Then, where was Helena?

Faintly, he could hear the sound of gurgling water. Helena was in the bathroom. Soon, he heard the door open. And yes, it was his wife. Who else?

Aaron sat in one of the empty chairs in the kitchen area. The kitchen design was a bit unique. There was a reasonably large table. It would make cooking more manageable and function as a dining table equipped with two chairs without backrests. They could have a meal there and didn't always use the dining room, even though the existence of the two rooms—the kitchen and the dining room—was adjacent and without a partition.

"Morning," said Aaron, feeling so awkward. But if he didn't do it, the awkwardness would become even more apparent. Their situation did make things feel awry.

"Morning." Helena was no less clumsy in replying. Then, she took a seat on the empty chair beside Aaron.

The two of them started their breakfast silently. Helena had prepared a simple sandwich toast with an omelet, cheese, and lettuce. It was completed with a cup of Aaron's favorite hot coffee to start the day.

Aaron took a bite of her bread with the occasional sip of Helena's coffee. Ah, the woman understood his taste. A small cup of bitter coffee that wasn't too thick was enough to spoil his tongue for the black beverage. And he preferred to drink it warm, especially in the morning.

Aaron suddenly remembered something. The item he should have given before their wedding took place. He took his wallet out of his pocket and pulled something out of it.

"This." Aaron handed Helena a black card. "You can use it however you want," he added.

Helena's forehead wrinkled at the item Aaron gave her, which was a credit card. Then, she turned his gaze toward him. "I don't need it," she replied. There was a hint of confusion there. Why did Aaron give a credit card to her? She could fulfill her needs with her own money. Aaron was very aware of it.

"You said that this marriage is about you and me. But, now you're forbidding me to interfere in our marriage?" asked Aaron, quoting Helena's words the night before, which created the number three of their marriage contract.

Helena was silent. Her mouth worked faster than her brain. She forgot that she wasn't single anymore. She had a family. Worse, she forgot her own words! Maybe, this was the tiring effect of the wedding that hadn't gone away until it made her mind and body not appropriately synchronized. Only a day passed. And on the second day, she planned to take a rest. Sleeping all day sounded enjoyable.

Hesitating, she took the card. "I will use it well," Helena said, then positioned the object closer to her.

Aaron nodded in satisfaction. He gave his credit card for Helena to use it. Whether to buy their household needs or fulfill her desires, Aaron handed his wife complete freedom. However, it didn't mean that he only bore the material needs and freed him from other responsibilities. It was just that he wanted to make it a part of his role in their marriage. "Use it as you please." He repeated his words.

"Okay."

Then, silence. Helena and Aaron were again busy with their thoughts.

"Don't you want to take a day off?"

Suddenly, she changed their conversation. Thinking of her plans for today made her think of Aaron. He must have felt the same way. Moreover, Aaron had to keep working the following day after their wedding.

"What for?"

"Aren't you tired after yesterday's event?" Helena asked. This time, she was looking at him with a worried look on her face. Fatigue wasn't a good friend to work with.

Aaron slightly backed his body while crossing his arms. He tried to hide his big smile after hearing the worried tone in the woman's voice. "Are you worried?" he teased.

The worried expression slowly turned sour. Helena hated the way Aaron spoke. She was apprehensive about his condition.

Aaron chuckled a little. But then, he decided not to tease his wife anymore. Maybe, later he was the one who would be tempted. "Don't worry. I'll be taking a week off next week. Where do you want us to go on our honeymoon?" Oh, he broke his word.

Helena immediately gave a sharp glance to Aaron. "I didn't say that," she grunted in annoyance.

"But, you want it, don't you?"

Helena scowled. She was at a loss for words to reply to him and all his seductions. She chose to ignore it and continued her breakfast.

"I want to kiss you. When can I do it?"

And Helena almost choked on it.