Colt Maxwell sat comfortably at the antique Chippendale dinner table , his feet bare and his favorite old flannel robe on the ground in just the black bikini briefs the old bodybuilder favored. Across the room, Mona Maxwell, in her violet bustier and stockings, adjusted a playlist on her phone, letting gentle jazz fill the space as she set the dinner table—just two places, a bottle of Merlot breathing nearby, and flickering candles casting their warm glow. Their laughter mingled with the music, echoing their comfort and the quiet luxury of a life well-lived.
Mona Maxwell poured wine, her bustier catching the candlelight as she set the glasses down. "Remember our first apartment? How we used to eat by candlelight because we couldn't afford the electricity bill?" Mona smiled, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "That was just so I could see you by firelight, Colt. You always looked your handsomest then." Their hands found each other across the table, fingers intertwining with the ease of a lifetime together.
Mona glanced at her phone, scrolling through pictures of Bunny Maxwell, their granddaughter, a bright-eyed girl with a cascade of golden curls. "The painters are coming tomorrow. Bunny’s bedroom will be a soft fairy blush pink. It will go so well with the white furniture and canopy bed being delivered on Saturday," she said, hope and excitement coloring her voice. Colt watched her, grinning, knowing Mona had orchestrated every detail.
Colt traced his finger over a list of activities: horseback riding at dawn, ice cream parlors, a day trip to Sedona. "I think Bunny’s going to love the fairy lights we picked for her canopy," he mused, picturing her amazement. "She’ll feel like a little princess. I want her summer here to be magical," Mona replied, her voice soft with longing for the laughter of children in their home again.
"Mona, after all these years, you still surprise me," Colt said, squeezing her hand. "I just want us to savor every moment—big or small. That’s the magic, isn’t it?" Their laughter drifted into the night, as comfortable as the desert breeze.
Mona leaned against Colt, her head on his shoulder, both lost in dreams of a summer filled with giggles, bedtime stories, and shared wonder. "Tomorrow starts a new chapter, love," he whispered, content in the magic of now and the joy of things yet to come.
