[Storiesmaniac]

The twinkling lights of the dolled up Christmas tree in the front window of the living room created shadows where normally light filled the room. The crackling fire in the hearth spread warmth through out the new found darkness. The old clock in the corner said it was nearly eight in the evening, still early, very early.

Whit was reclining on the couch, her legs bent over the arm, flipping through the novel she had gotten as a gift from her parents, "Your First Year: The Secret to Surviving Being a Newlywed". Kyle was playing with the cheap electronic game of "Pong" Whitney had shoved in his stocking, last minute. Breaking his concentration for the first time in half an hour, he stared at his wife, reading glasses pulled low on her nose, chewing on a strand of her hair.

"Whit," he said reaching for the book, "that's supposed to be pleasure reading, not new material for the SAT."

"Do my parents think we're really that unhappy in our marriage?" Whit rolled her eyes and slid her glasses off. "Are we so miserable we need to read how to become better? How to 'survive'?"

Kyle laughed at Whit's seriousness. Thumbing through the pages of the book he began to laugh even more. "'Although often appreciated, calling home from work to say you are leaving is not a necessity and should not be done often for it leaves your spouse expectant of a call every night and therefore leads to dependency.' Who comes up with this crap?"

"Some psychologist who lives in New York City and is incredibly happy in her marriage with two incredibly gorgeous children," Whit rolled over and groaned into the couch cushion. "You know the kind who charges $350 an hour for their time?"

"I love how you're so brightly optimistic," Kyle laughed as he continued to flip through the book. "Oh look! An entire chapter debating whether it is smart to have kids within your first year of being wed! God forbid you got hitched in the first place because of a kid."

"Ah, stop it," Whit raised her arms over her head and smothered her ears.

"I think I know why your parents got this for you," Kyle raised a brow as he found the pros and cons list to pregnancy so early in a marriage. "They want grandchildren."

"Kyle, you're making me want to go cut my own head off with a dull pair of safety scissors," Whit groaned.

"Oh come on," Kyle pulled her arms off of her head. "Like you didn't see this coming at all?"

"Oh trust me," Whit sat up and twisted her legs around so that she was sitting cross legged on the couch. "I knew it was coming, just not so flipping soon."

"They're parents; all they want is grandchildren to inflict their revenge upon you for all the misery you brought to them at three a.m. for so many years."

Whit let out a groan of intolerance.

"And to think," Kyle pushed the hair out of her face. "You were a twin, which means they have twice as much horror to inflict."

"They should divide it between me and my sister for the sake of fairness," Whit retorted.

"Yes, but they have no hope in Kara ever getting a husband, hence you must suffer their entire wrath," Kyle replied with a laugh. Then smirking, "Which could be kind of fun if you know what I mean."

Whitney stared at him intensely. "You can say that, but you're not that one squeezing a football out of a golf ball sized hole."

"I'm restraining the urge to say something very asshole-ish," Kyle shook his head.

"Good," Whit got off the couch and walked over to the sparkling tree. She ran her fingers over the ornaments, the smooth glass orbs catching every glimmer the twinkling lights offered. "Sounds like someone doesn't want to spend tonight on the couch."

"I wonder what this book says about couples and separate beds," Kyle flipped to the index.

"Give me that," Whit scoffed as she crossed the room and ripped the book out of his hands.

"Hey! That could be the very key to our successful marriage."

"Is it unsuccessful as of yet?" Whit asked.

"No," Kyle shook his head, "but come on, apparently this is the key to life!"

Whitney laughed and began to walk towards the fireplace, flipping the book idly in her hands. "I don't really like having a key to life, you know? It makes it seem like there's a lock on the door of opportunities. It's depressing, you know?"
Kyle got up and came over to her by the fire, "I don't know whether I like it when you go all psychological on me. I mean, it's sexy, but it makes my head hurt."

"Sexy eh?" Whit laughed. "That's a new one."

"I'm full of box office debuts," Kyle reached for the book which Whit was now holding out of reach. "C'mon, it was a gift."

"Yeah," Whit scoffed. "My gift, and a rather crude one at that."

"Great," Kyle continued to reach, "we can give it to Kara when she decides to settle down. Payback's a bitch."

"You're not funny," Whit wrapped her arms around his shoulders, the book going back behind his neck. "I can think of many different ways to make our marriage happy other than following the advice in this book."

"Oh yeah?" Kyle grinned. "Sounds interesting."

"Indubitably," Whit smirked. "Care to learn?"

"I'm in," Kyle nodded.

"Good," Whit said and without another word she tossed to book into the fire. It crackled and sizzled, the pages disappearing. "Let's go then, shall we?"