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Prologue
Nobu’s frame was slouched over against the couch. With her phone in one hand and an empty wine glass in the other, her head bobbed forward as she fought to stay awake. All day, Nobu anxiously awaited her husband’s arrival. After waiting two weeks longer than she normally would to put their Christmas decorations up, it was finally the day. Well, the night. Hendrix was supposed to be home early to get started, however, three hours had passed… and all of the wine and cookies she’d consumed had Nobu teetering between drifting off into a deep sleep and trying to stay up and wait for him.
Just as the wine glass slipped out of her hand onto the burgundy shag rug, Hendrix was opening the door from the garage. Nobu sat up, looking around the living room in confusion. At the sound of her husband’s footsteps, Nobu’s eyes rolled. She snatched the phone and checked the time, chuckling at the sight of 8:46 p.m. Had they not agreed to take off specifically to decorate that day, Nobu wouldn’t have been as upset. Spending the day at home anxiously awaiting his arrival from a meeting he wasn’t even supposed to take made it difficult for Nobu to even look up at Hendrix when he made his way into the living room.
“Daddy’s home,” Hendrix greeted playfully as he always did when he arrived, placing a kiss on her temple.
“Hey,” she replied softly, swiping the cup off the carpet and setting it on the glass coffee table.
“Were you sleep?”
“Damn near. It’s almost nine o’clock, Hendrix. You said you’d be home by five.”
Finally, Nobu looked up at him, and the sight of the red roses in his hand did nothing to lessen her irritation. He hadn’t gotten them because she loved flowers and gifts; Hendrix had gotten them because he knew he was in trouble.
Sitting next to her, Hendrix extended the flowers in her direction. She stared at them for a few seconds before taking them and grumbling, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” His eyes scanned the clear containers filled with Christmas decorations. “You didn’t get started?”
“Of course not. I was waiting for you.”
“So… I have some great news.” Hendrix’s smile was hesitant as he took her hand into his.
Releasing a calming breath, Nobu shook her head, hoping that would release some of the irritation that was consuming her.
“What is it?”
“The meeting I had today was with the CEO of the biggest, black owned Fortune 500 company in New York. They offered me the chief headhunter position at their offices. But we would have to move to New York at the start of the year. Also, they invited us out for drinks this evening to celebrate, so how soon can you get dressed?”
For a while, all Nobu could do was stare at her husband. When they first met six years ago, she found his career as a freelance recruiter interesting. Being with a self-employed man had always been Nobu’s goal. Because she worked for herself as a crime scene cleaner, it was important to Nobu that the man she married had free time and a stable income as well.
She’d never wanted a corporate man who was chained to his desk unable to live life, nor did she want a man who had the ultimate free schedule because he wasn’t working and making money. In the beginning, Hendrix was perfect. He made multiple six figures a year while maintaining a healthy balance between work, play, and rest.
Over the course of their four-year marriage, that changed. He’d started working with larger companies who demanded more of his time. Though the income was great, Hendrix was paying for it with his time.
Releasing a sigh, Nobu casually slipped her hand from under his.
“Congratulations on the job offer,” she said with a smile as her heart rate began to increase. “I thought you wanted to stay freelance so you wouldn’t be tied to one company?”
“That’s true, but this is a great opportunity. It will be salaried, and I’ll get commissions for each recruit. If I do as well as I know I can, I’ll be making half a million a year, baby.”
Nobu found it difficult to speak as she fumbled over which thought she wanted to process first. Her posture stiffened as her lips pressed together. Head tilted, Nobu huffed and shook it softly in defeat.
“That’s great, Hendrix. I’m really happy for you.”
Biting his lip, Hendrix blinked before frowning.
With a soft chuckle, Hendrix ran his hand across the back of his head. “Are you? Because it doesn’t look or sound like you are.”
“I am, it’s just… We agreed that we would start our family once we hit five years of marriage,” she reminded, causing Hendrix to look away. “We actually agreed that we would have a baby at the three-year mark, but we put it off because you started working more. It seems like every time it’s time for us to start our family you get even busier with work. Is that intentional? Do you not want to have children anymore?”
“Of course, I do.” Hendrix’s expression softened as he returned his eyes to hers. “But I also want to live my life the way I want to, and that will change when we have kids. I want to be all in and be there with you every step of the way. Plus, I want to make sure I’m financially stable enough to provide for us all. When we do start our family, I don’t want you to have to work, Nobu.”
“And I-I get that, and I appreciate that.” She chuckled nervously, hoping her voicing her concerns wouldn’t lead to an argument and ruin his good mood. “But how much money exactly do you think you’ll need to be content?” Hendrix’s brows wrinkled and head tilted as he stared at her, visibly confused by her simple question. When he didn’t respond, she continued. “The more money you make, the less time you have. I want you to be financially stable, but I also want you to be present. What good will it do me to have a husband who makes a lot of money if I feel like a single parent?”
“I can admit that I’ll probably never be fully satisfied with the amount of money I make because in the back of my mind I know there’s always more, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be present for you and our family.”
“Hendrix… You’re already struggling to be here just for me. Now, you expect us to move to New York, where we don’t know anyone, just so you can work for this company that’s going to take even more of your time? I’m not comfortable with the idea of having my first child away from our family and friends. I just don’t know about this, Hendrix.”
