The Love Series: Just 4 U Services

Hello, my readers! A very Happy Chinese New Year to you all! Sorry for the 2 weeks break. It is Chinese New Year, after all! (Fine... I am just going to come out and admit it.. I have been a little lazy... xP) Anyways, I am going to continue on the series and stories that I have promised in February. Sorry, again, for the long wait! =)

"Honey! I am home!" Bob yelled after closing the front door. But his answer was screaming and crying from the dining room. "Hon?" Bob walked towards the dining room. There was his wife, Caroline, trying to clean up the mess on the floor while his two young children, John, 6, and Emily, 3, were crying and fighting over a toy. "Oh wow. What happened?" Bob asked. "What happened?! What happened here is that your son and your daughter wouldn't stop fighting the whole time I am trying to make dinner and now I have make a mess on the kitchen. I am tired and dinner is not ready!" Caroline burst out in tears. "Hey, hey. It's okay." Bob tried to console Caroline. "No it's not! I just... Can you please just take care of them and order delivery or something?" Caroline asked. "Sure." Bob said. Caroline left the dining room without another word.

That night, after Bob had put the children to bed, he went into their bedroom. "Hey. Everything alright?" Bob asked Caroline. Caroline just shrugged her shoulders as she continue to look at the papers in her hands. Bob gently removed the papers from her hands and turned her around to face him. Caroline avoided eye contact. "What is it, hon? You can tell me." Bob said gently. "I just feel tired of everything. I feel like I am the one having to juggle my job, the kids and the house chores. Not to say that you don't help. You do. I just wish I can have more "me" time, you know?" Caroline said. "I get it. I can try coming back earlier from work to help out" Bob said. "You said that the last time too. You did it for 2 days then it's back to normal." Caroline informed him. "Oh." Bob thought hard, trying to find a suitable response. "Never mind. Can I get back to my work now?" Caroline asked. "Yeah. Sure." Bob said. Caroline turned back to her work and Bob went to bed.

He felt so helpless in this kind of situation. He could feel the strain in their relationship and he tried to do something about it. But every single time he tried his plans, it backfired on him. Since the first time they met, Bob knew in his heart that Caroline is the one and only woman for him. But Caroline seems to lose faith in their relationship. She is drifting further and further away. If he didn't come up with something fast, he could lose his marriage soon. Time to ask for some advise from his buddies.

"You can try buying her flowers and chocolates. All girls love that." Frank, one of his best friend, said after hearing Bob's story. "No, man. I tried that once. She yelled at me, saying she has no need for flowers or chocolates." Bob said. "Really? Then I don't know how to help you out now. Women are a mystery to me." Frank shrugged his shoulders. "You know, maybe you can sacrifice some of your sleep time and free time to help her out around the house." Bob's other best friend, Martin, said. "She doesn't need flowers or chocolates. She needs help. All she wants is for you to be around the house more often and help out with the house chores and the kids." Martin added. "That simple?" Bob asked. "Try it out. I believe it will help save your marriage." Martin said while smiling.

The alarm clock rang. Caroline groaned and switched off the alarm. She turned around but to her surprise, Bob wasn't by her side. Strange, she thought, as she got out of bed. She checked the toilet. No Bob. Maybe he needed to be in the office earlier today and forgot to tell her, she thought, sighing while thinking about having to get the children up, fixing breakfast and dropping them off at the babysitter's place. She hoped they will cooperate today. She cannot afford to be late again. She washed up and went down to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. To her surprised, breakfast was prepared and the whole house was neat and tidy. She stood at the entrance of the kitchen, shocked. She noticed a card on the dining room table. It read: From: Just 4 U Services. Before she could react, she heard Emily crying in the bedroom. There isn't anymore time to think about it.

In the evening, she got back with the children. The laundry needed to be done. It's piling up, she thought. She switched on the television for the children and went to collect the dirty clothes. That's when she noticed the clothes hanging outside on the lawn. What in the whole wide world? she wondered. Again, a card was placed beside the washing machine. It read: From: Just 4 U Services. What is going on? she thought. With most of the house chores done, she went and prepared dinner. No maddening rushing, no pressure. What is Just 4 U Services? I got to ask Bob, she thought as she was preparing dinner.

She never had a chance to talk to Bob as he was busy with the children once he got home. But at night, in their bedroom, she finally had the time to ask him about it. "Hon, where were you this morning? You usually don't go to the office so early." Caroline asked Bob. "Oh, there is this project going on and I have to get to office early." Bob said casually. "Do you know that someone prepared breakfast and did most of the house chores today?" Caroline asked, "Just 4 U Services. Did you hire someone?" "No. Did you?" Bob asked. "No. I thought you did." Caroline answered, "I hope it goes on forever. I have never felt this relax in ages." Bob smiled.

Just 4 U Services went on and on. Caroline began to relax. The strain in Bob and Caroline's marriage is gone. But Caroline was determined to find out who was the one behind this Just 4 U Services. During lunch one afternoon, Caroline snuck home. To her surprise, she found Bob doing the laundry while munching a sandwich. "What in the whole wide world are you doing here?" Caroline asked. Bob turned around in surprised. "I could ask you the same question. You are suppose to be at work!" Bob said. Suddenly, everything clicked. Bob's "project". The early mornings. Caroline's eyes filled with tears. "You are behind the Just 4 U Services? You go to the office earlier so that you can have your lunch break earlier and come home to do the chores. You prepared the breakfast. You did all these for me?" "Hon, it's nothing. I just want to help. Oh no. Please don't cry. I didn't want to let you know because I am afraid I will mess things up and make you upset again." Bob hugged Caroline as she began to cry. "This is tears of joy and gratitude, you big dumbo! This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you!" Caroline said, wiping her tears while laughing. "That's a relieve. I love you, sweetheart. I will do anything to make you happy, you know that, right?" Bob said. "Yes. I do. I love you too." Caroline smiled.

Just 4 U Services now has two people managing it. It's still ongoing and it will always be ongoing.