Chapter 5: Flowers

Where there is no struggle, there is no strength. – Oprah Winfrey

Jolene pulled over and into a parking lot as her tire went thud thud thud. She would be late to class with professor Brown who hated people coming in late. With tears in her eyes she called her husband. 

“Hey, baby.” Came the groggy response when he answered. 

“I have a flat.” Jolene said with her voice cracking. 

“It’s OK, baby. Tell me where you are.”

“The Diamond T gas station on eighth and Pine.” She said after looking around to see exactly where she was. 

“OK, I’m on my way.” She could hear him moving around as he got up and dressed. “Don’t cry, baby. Don’t want to mess up that beautiful face.”

She smiled swiping away the tears that threatened to fall. He knew her so well. “I won’t. I love you.”

“You too, baby.”

She ended the call and flipped down the visor to use the vanity mirror. Groaning at what she saw, Jolene pulled out her little makeup bag and fixed her face. Her caramel colored eyes were a little lighter than her long wavy hair. At least her hair was still contained in its braid.

She patted some powder on her pale cheeks before dusting some blush on. There was a tap on her window and she rolled it down smiling up at the bald man looking at her. He wore faded jeans and department t-shirt. 

“License and registration.”

“I don’t know where they are.”

“Then get out and give me a kiss.” He replied opening the door. 

Laughing she got out and kissed her husband. “My hero in blue.”

“Always.” He handed her his keys. “Take my pickup so you’re not late.”

She gave him another quick kiss. “You’re the best.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He chuckled as she grabbed her backpack and purse before rushing over to the pickup. 

She arrived at class only a minute late. Literally, a minute. Professor Brown had not even stood up to begin the lecture. Giving a mental sigh, she celebrated that she had made it.

“Mrs. Fargo.” The older professor said without looking up from the newspaper in front of him. “What brilliant excuse do you have for being late?”

“I got a flat on my way here.”

“And you changed it?” he asked looking up at her. The smug look on his face showed that he already knew the answer. 

“No, sir. I called my husband and he gave me his pickup so that I was not late.” She replied squirming slightly in her chair in the lecture hall. 

“Yet, you were still late.” The professor chastised. 

The lecture began and his questions were aimed at Jolene. They were all prefaced with comments such as “She may not know how to change a tire, but perhaps Mrs. Fargo knows….”

She was glad when that class was over. Before her next class, she went to the library only to find that the book she had requested had been checked out by someone else. She put her name back on the list and was now number five. 

The child psychology class ran late and she ended up being late to her third class, algebra. She hated algebra and professor Thompsons pop quizzes. The woman loved to give a pop quiz. 

With her last class complete for the day, Jolene planned to go home and trade vehicles. She preferred her little compact car to Hank’s oversized dually. Why he needed a truck that big, she would never know. 

Checking her messages she saw one from her boss. Meagan was sick and Jolene needed to come in as soon as possible. Quickly, she sent a message to Hank and headed for the little café. 

Thursdays were usually easy so she expected her day to improve. 

Her day did not get any better. 

For six hours she smiled as customers told her everything that was wrong. A kid threw a chocolate milkshake on her and now she smelled of soured milk. 

When Jolene walked into the apartment, she was trying to figure out what to fix for dinner. She hadn’t come home like she usually did so nothing had been gotten out of the freezer. On the small table was a large bouquet of flowers and a note. 

Got your text of it being a crap day. Leave your clothes in the washer, I’ll get them. I’ve gone to pick up dinner. Check the bathroom.

She walked into the bathroom clutching the note to her chest. Candles surrounded the bathtub and the curtain had been tied up out of the way. Her little radio with a CD player that was usually in the kitchen was on the counter with a note saying ‘play me' taped to the top. A box of long matches sat next to it with ‘light me' scribbled on the label. Underneath the matches was a package of new bath bombs. 

With tears flooding her eyes, Jolene turned on the water and let it start filling the tub as she went and stripped out of her gross uniform. The stacked washer and dryer that was in the apartment was just the right size for them. As long as you were OK with small loads all week long.

They had agreed to stick it out in the small apartment until she had a teaching job. The first thing she wanted when they moved was a full sized washer and dryer. The second was a dishwasher. 

Returning to the bathroom she lit the candles and then dropped in a bath bomb. Pressing play on the radio, the small room was soon filled with Nat King Cole singing Unforgettable. 

Jolene loved this song. Her mom used to sing it to her and her brothers when they were little. She got in the tub and relaxed until Hank came in and said that he had her favorite when she was done. 

Sure enough, she found roast beef sandwiches drowning in Horsey Sauce.

"I love you." Jolene said sitting down next to him on the couch with her sandwich and fries. 

He kissed the top of her head. “You too, babe.”