‘Is that really necessary?’ I frowned at my husband, as he unveiled his latest bargain hunt in our driveway, ripping the tarp away.
‘Of course!’ he grinned, all bubbling with enthusiasm. ‘It’s going to be perfect!’
I looked down at the rusty, dirt-ridden bathtub sitting on the concrete in front of me and made a conscious effort not to hide my scepticism.
‘Oh, good.’ He breathed a sigh of relief. ‘You like it too. I think it’s going to be a perfect addition to the bathroom remodel!’
Apparently, I still did quite a good job hiding my scepticism.
‘Larry,’ I said, through a strained smile. ‘I think this might not be the find you think it is.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘It’s junk, honey,’ I said politely. ‘Absolute trash.’
‘It just needs a bit of work!’ he said, wounded.
‘I agree,’ I nodded. ‘Carrying it to the tip will be a lot of work. I think you can manage though.’ I clapped him on the shoulder and turned to head back into the house.
‘You don’t have any vision!’ he called after me.
‘Nope,’ I said without looking back.
A few hours later, he came back into the house. I didn’t look up as he walked into the kitchen, engrossed by a flashy website with kitchen renovation ideas for a Melbourne home. He cleared his throat, and I flicked my gaze over to him.
‘Hiya,’ I said, absently. ‘Where have you been?’
‘Fixing up the bathtub,’ he said, somewhat indignantly. I had to laugh.
‘Why are you acting like I’m going to throw something at you?’
‘Because you might,’ he said, stiffly. ‘Emotionally.’
I rolled my eyes, then pinched the bridge of my nose with a sigh.
‘Okay,’ I breathed out. ‘You’re right. I apologise for how I treated you this morning. You were clearly excited and I stomped on that.’
‘Thank you,’ he said, softening slightly. ‘So you’re happy to let me keep the bath?’
I got up, closing the laptop and walking over to him. I grasped his shoulder softly, smiling up at his expectant face.
I shook my head. ‘Absolutely not.’