Chapter 12: A Step In The Right Direction

I sighed and grabbed a bunch of clothes off the floor, folding them all neat and tidy. Baby had just chucked his grimy jogging boots aside and wandered into the room. I kept on sorting through the laundry, and a thought popped into my head.

"Hey, ever heard of Élise Beaumont?"

He glanced up from his folding with zero enthusiasm. "Élise Beaumont? Who's that?"

"She's this marriage counselor who runs a YouTube channel called 'Staying Married.' I checked out a few of her vids. It's all about helping couples keep their marriage on track."

Baby nodded half-heartedly, still zoned in on the clothes. "Sure, sounds alright."

The room grew heavy with an awkward silence, and I waited, expecting him to say something. Finally, unable to hold it in any longer, I spoke up. "Don't you have anything to say about it?"

He paused, then shrugged like it was no big deal. "What am I supposed to say?"

I let out another sigh, giving up on the laundry and meeting his gaze. "I expected you to be more pumped, to see this as a chance for us to work on our marriage. Maybe we could learn a thing or two from those videos."

Baby squinted, confusion all over his face. "I had no idea our marriage needed work."

My heart sank at his response. How could he not see the issues? The fights we had, the distance between us. "We're far from being a perfect couple, Baby. We still have plenty to learn. We argue, and we don't talk openly. I bet there are things you don't like about me, things I could improve on. I want you to tell me now instead of waiting for it to blow up during an argument."

He blinked. "I…I didn't realize you felt that way."

"Well, I do," I said, my voice laced with frustration and vulnerability. "I want us to be better, to have a stronger, happier marriage. And maybe, just maybe, this YouTube channel can help us get there."

We remained rooted to the spot, the room filling with silence once again, but now it carried all these unspoken emotions. I could see Baby mulling over my words, considering the possibility that there might be things he needed to address too.

Finally, he let out a sigh and reached for another pile of clothes. "Alright, let's give it a shot then. But don't expect miracles overnight."

A glimmer of hope sparked inside me as I nodded, realizing that this little step was a move in the right direction. Together, we kept on packing the clothes, fully aware that we were embarking on a journey to rediscover and rebuild our marriage, one small choice at a time.

Once we were done stuffing the laundry into the basket, the stench of Baby Corrigan's funky workout gear hit me like a punch in the face. Scrunching up my nose, I couldn't hold back from giving him a jab. "Dude, seriously, you gotta hit the shower. You reek."

Before I could even react, he bolted toward me, arms wide open, and smothered me in a tight, sweaty hug. I squirmed and struggled, trying to break free, but damn, the guy had a grip like a gorilla. "Yo, Baby Corrigan, lemme go!"

But the stubborn guy wouldn't loosen his hold. His laughter filled the room, contagious as hell. Finally, he released me, still cracking up with zero restraint. I fired back with a playful curse and tossed a couple of light-hearted insults his way.

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Baby Corrigan bolted up the stairs, still laughing. "You can tag along to the bathroom!" he hollered over his shoulder.

I rolled my eyes, but hell, I couldn't resist the offer. Following him upstairs, my heart fluttered in anticipation for what was coming. The joyous chaos that always seemed to surround Baby Corrigan was an irresistible magnet, and I was ready to dive right into it.