Page 43 of Earned Husband

Ishoved my door closed with my shoulder while juggling a stack of mail. Naturally, the envelopes slipped from my grip and scattered across the kitchen floor as soon I came across a thick, huge envelope from Deja.

My phone was wedged between my ear and shoulder, one of our financial auditors droning on and on about third quarter projection somethings. “They’ll need reconciliation before the board review. We have to?—”

“I’ll call you back,” I said, not waiting for a response before I ended the call.

I slid a thumb across the indentations where Deja had written her return address. I’d been waiting for this for over a week and my heart was suddenly pounding, a wide grin spreading across my lips. When she’d first suggested snail mail as our primary form of correspondence for this month, I’d agreed because it’d sounded like it was important to her, but now that my first actual, paper letter from what might be my future wife had arrived, I had to admit that there was definitely something to it.

Tossing my phone down on the kitchen counter with a soft clatter, I tore open the envelope and was hit with a sneeze sosudden and violent that I nearly lost my balance. Another sneeze tore through me almost immediately after the first, followed by yet another.

“What,” I managed, pausing to sneeze again and blinking hard through watering eyes. “What is in this?”

Dried flower petals drifted out as I shook the contents free, but I wiped my eyes and unfolded the letter. Before I could read a single line, however, another wave of sneezing seized my insides.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered, squinting at the page while trying not to breathe. That seemed to work, so I held my breath and read the opening line.

Dearest Colin,

I already know what you’re thinking and you’re right, this is a test. Consider it an experiment to see if you really are allergic to me. I’ve sprayed this letter with my favorite perfume and if you’re sneezing as much as I think you are, then we’ve established that at least you’re not only allergic to me in person.

When I couldn’t hold my breath anymore, I sneezed again on my first inhale, my allergies acting up so instantly that it would’ve been funny if it didn’t mean that I was going to spend the rest of my life sneezing if we should ever share a bedroom.

Fuck.

I finally managed to see again after the next wave subsided, sitting down at the counter and smiling as I read about her first week back home. I could almost hear her voice in my ears as I read.

Alright, assuming you’ve survived opening the envelope and reading this far, I feel like I should warn you that Cairo is not like Chicago. As soon as I got off the plane, I realized how much louder it is here. You should be prepared for that.

It’s going to be a literal assault on your senses, but in the best possible way. At least, that’s how I feel about it. I hope you’ll feel the same.

As much as I’ll be spending more time in the States if this deal is done, Cairo will always be my home. I can’t wait to show you around.

As you can probably imagine, we’ve been busy since we got back. I’ve hardly even seen my father, but my mom has been watching me closely. I think she’s trying to make sure I’m alright, but I really am.

Jasmine, my sister, has been relentless about her teasing, but she’s looking forward to meeting you. Get ready for about a million questions when that happens. She’s convinced that I changed while we were over there and she’s holding you responsible.

Another sneeze cut through my reading and I winced but kept going.

I miss Chicago more than I thought I might. My days were slower there. I truly, genuinely adore my work, but I could do without the meetings, and the emails, and the constant admin that needs attention.

Admin has to be my greatest pet peeve. I’m terrible at it too, which doesn’t help make the thought of it any more alluring.

The highlight of my week so far has been a visit to the most gorgeous flower market right at the edge of the city. It’s one of my favorite places, a market I often get lost in for hours. I’ve sent you a souvenir of my visit.

The petals in the envelope suddenly made sense. I held one between my fingers for a moment, even bringing it up to my nose while praying it wouldn’t make me sneeze again. Thankfully, it didn’t, but I also couldn’t quite discern what was so special about it that she’d chosen to send it across an ocean.

The magical thing about these is that most often, just one scent alone might not seem like much, but when it’s combined with another that complements it perfectly, it suddenly becomes something incredibly special. This might sound a bit sappy, but I’ve often thought that the best, strongest relationships are the same.

Two people who make each other better, who find that one person out of a billion who complements them so perfectly that it’s like they were always meant to be together. Maybe that’s part of why I love my job so much.

I get to try and make the perfect match every single day. Sometimes, I succeed, but even when I fail, I never give up, and eventually, we always find that one scent that turns another from ordinary, mediocre even, to exceptional.

That’s what I want out of life, I think. To go from ordinary to exceptional.

I’ll let you go now, but I’m looking forward to seeing you, Colin.

Yours Sincerely,

Deja.