Illusion

Her life was a carefully crafted illusion.

By all outward appearances, she had a perfect life. Good job. Nice house. Loving marriage. Bright, beautiful twin girls. She was one of those annoying women who lost the baby weight almost immediately and, even to her own critical eye, she looked fantastic.

The truth? She laughed bitterly into her glass of Shiraz. She was miserable.

The pressure of her fast-paced job was damn near stifling. She wished someone had warned her that life on the Street wasn't as glamorous as it first appeared. The pay was high because your firm owned you. That the company-paid cell and beeper weren't cool - if those damn things went off, you better jump to answer.

The hours were long. The work was hard. Intense. Driving. Demanding. But, most of the time, she reveled in her ability to deliver results and satisfy even her most challenging clients.

No, the hardest part of her day was walking through the door after work.

She loved her girls. They were, without question, the best thing she had ever done with her life. The girls were blond haired, green eyed beauties. Cassie was all her - curiosity, intelligence, attitude, drive. In Danielle she also saw herself - the creative, the passion, the athleticism. Being with them was the highlight of her day.

While they greeted her warmly, throwing themselves into her arms, her husband met her at the door with a perfunctory kiss. They exchanged pleasantries, but largely stayed to themselves. She couldn't remember the last time he touched her...

She loved Steve. Promised to remain by his side through good times and bad, sickness and health, richer or poorer. Those were vows she took seriously.

So how do you tell that person that they're not enough? She wondered once again. Because while Steve was a great father and a wonderful agent, he was utter crap when it came to pleasing her. It was like he had just stopped trying. While she could put up with a lot of things, she couldn't fathom living without any kind of passion in her life.

A bolt of lightening lit up the night as the skies opened up, splattering water across her windows.
The crack of thunder unhinged the dam that kept her feelings carefully bottled up tight and tears slid down her cheeks, splattering across her pillow.

Settling back against the pillows, she prayed for sleep to claim her quickly and bring with it the escape she so desperately needed...