Silent Night, Heavy Heart

22 hours ago

Gage was afraid. Afraid to go to bed with his wife. For the past two weeks or so, he’d noticed that he was having trouble getting hard. Maybe it was the stress at work. He was vice president of a lumber firm, and things had been really slow. Some employees were laid off, and others, including Gage, were doing double duty.

At the end of every day, he always looked forward to home and Violet. How he’d ever been so blessed to win a woman like Vi he would never know. Black-haired and graceful as a gazelle, with just the right bit of padding to her breasts and hips, Vi could have had her pick of handsome suitors. Yet she chose forty-two-year-old Gage Mallinson, a quiet, gentlemanly businessman. No wonder he drove so fast each evening. He couldn’t wait to be with her.

Until recently.

The age difference had troubled him from the start since he was fully aware of the issues that could arise as time passed. Vi stated from the beginning that it mattered nothing to her; she was in love with him and believed he was the man she’d prayed for. Age was no object if character and everything else lined up. As to having children, she was content with or without them, whatever God chose. Gage had agreed, and the three years they’d been married were wonderful. Now he was uneasy, fearing he’d made a mistake and trapped a lovely woman in a marriage that might not satisfy her anymore.

On this particular evening—he’d always remember it as a muggy Friday in August—he was on his way home after a very long day at his office. Problems brought up by the company president at a meeting weighed him down. The Chevrolet needed gas, and his head hurt. And he was frustrated that even thinking about his luscious wife did nothing to arouse his lovemaking member.

“Lord, I don’t know what to do,” he finally spoke aloud, weakly pounding the steering wheel. “You know I want my life to honor You, at home and at work. All the stuff going on there is driving me a little batty, and with Vi… what if I hurt her? What if I can’t fulfill her? Father in heaven, please help me!”

A verse occurred to him just then. “The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.” Vi had a right to know what was going on because she had a say in how he gave himself to pleasure her, just as he liked to tell her how she could pleasure him. Buoying himself up with some hope, he pressed down a little harder on the accelerator.

Vi Mallinson was on the back patio, dressed in capris and a soft blouse, watering the big pots of majesty palms. But she heard the muffled sound of a car door closing and knew her husband was home. She hurried inside.

“Gage?” She met him in the living room, where he set his hat and briefcase on the couch and took her in his arms for a kiss.

“Hi, Vi.” He smiled.

“Mmm, hello.” She smiled back, eyes almost closed in the enjoyment of his kiss. Then she opened them to look at his face. “Darling, you’re so tired! Come sit down for a minute. Bad day at work?”

“Well, it could have been worse, I guess,” he quipped as he plunked down on the sofa and drew her onto his lap.

“What’s up? Tell me all about it.”

“Oh, just company problems and… other things,” he sighed.

“How about a little dinner? I made a nice pasta salad since it was so hot, and we’ve got fruit, potato chips, and iced tea.”

“Sounds so good you’re killing me,” he commended.

“Good.” She started to get up.

“Vi, hang on. There’s something I have to talk about with you.”

She cocked her head slightly, gazing at him in loving curiosity. “Of course, baby. Is anything wrong?”