I received a frilly apron from my new spouse a week after moving in. He termed it my \u201chouse uniform.\u201d He called it \u201cjust tradition.\u201d I was stunned but smiled and continued. He wanted a perfect housewife until I proved him incorrect.<\/p>\n
The wedding, honeymoon, and unpacking in our new house kept me enthusiastic one week into marriage.<\/p>\n
I heard Derek\u2019s key in the door and footsteps.<\/p>\n
Honey, I\u2019m home! he called joyfully.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the kitchen,\u201d I said, setting down a gorgeous wedding present dish.<\/p>\n
Derek grinned at the doorway, his suit jacket over his shoulder. He clutched a ribboned box.<\/p>\n
He handed it to me, saying, \u201cSurprise!\u201d<\/p>\n
I grinned, fascinated. Though we decided no more presents, I was delighted.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s this? I requested.<\/p>\n
\u201cOpen it,\u201d he murmured, observing me.<\/p>\n
Untied the ribbon, I glanced inside. Frilly aprons and long, old-fashioned dresses replaced sweets like necklaces.<\/p>\n
Confused, I watched.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s your house uniform,\u201d Derek boasted. \u201cMy mom wore one daily. This keeps everything tidy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Touching the apron, I examined the clothing. It appeared 100 years old.<\/p>\n
Are you serious? My voice was calm as I asked.<\/p>\n
He winked. \u201cYup. Just tradition, no pressure. Makes you feel domestic.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him thinking he was kidding. He wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a nice surprise,\u201d he added expecting me to be pleased.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s\u2026something,\u201d I murmured, masking my disbelief.<\/p>\n
I was stunned. Not what I agreed to. But maybe I should have expected it.<\/p>\n
While working in a bustling office, I met Derek. He told me I\u2019d adore being a housewife while we dated, particularly since we wanted kids. He promised to cover everything, so I could pursue hobbies or kids later.<\/p>\n
When I considered working from home, he insisted I\u2019d be happy as a \u201ctraditional wife.\u201d I promised to try.<\/p>\n
But a \u201chouse uniform\u201d? That was excessive.<\/p>\n
Whatcha think? Derek inquired, beaming.<\/p>\n
I regarded him. He wasn\u2019t cruel, just ignorant.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it traditional?\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Excited, he answered, \u201cExactly!\u201d \u201cLike my mom\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll try it on later,\u201d I responded, shutting the package.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat!\u201d After kissing my cheek, he changed.<\/p>\n
Okay, I thought. Let him believe I agree.<\/p>\n
I put the uniform on our bed that night. I planned. I took my old sewing equipment from the cupboard.<\/p>\n
Derek was going to learn a lot.<\/p>\n
\u2014<\/p>\n
I became a wonderful old-school wife overnight. The outfit, early breakfast, vacuuming in my grandma\u2019s pearls, and kneeling floor cleaning were my daily routine.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee? Doesn\u2019t this help? Derek stated on day three while watching me prepare pancakes in the costume.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, sure,\u201d I answered nicely.<\/p>\n
By day five, I was behaving like a movie star, not simply playing home. My apron had a name tag: \u201cDEREK\u2019S HOUSEWIFE.\u201d<\/p>\n
I called him \u201csir.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning, sir,\u201d I greeted as he descended. Breakfast is ready. Sir, may I pour your coffee?<\/p>\n
Nervously, Derek chuckled. Honey, no need to say \u2018sir.\u2019<\/p>\n
Tilted my head. \u201cShould I wait by the door with your slippers at 6 p.m., sir?\u201d<\/p>\n
He frowned. \u201cThat\u2019s not what I meant.\u201d<\/p>\n
So I knocked on his office door that night. \u201cCan I use the bathroom, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n
A grin evaporated from Derek. \u201cStop joking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJoking?\u201d I pointed to my apron. This was custom, I thought.<\/p>\n
Derek\u2019s employer and colleagues dined that weekend. As they entered, I bowed low in full costume.<\/p>\n
\u201cWelcome to our home,\u201d I replied. \u201cThe master of the house will descend soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you Derek\u2019s wife?\u201d Richard, his employer, questioned confusedly.<\/p>\n
Pointing at my nametag. \u201cThat\u2019s me, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked uncomfortable. \u201cWhat were you doing before?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI gave up my dreams when I got married,\u201d I lied. \u201cDerek likes that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room quieted. Walking downstairs, Derek went red.<\/p>\n
Honey, isn\u2019t this joke too much? He greeted his visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not joking, sir,\u201d I replied. \u201cBeing the wife you wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n
My colleague Anita raised an eyebrow. \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe homemaker role,\u201d I joyfully replied. Derek loves tradition. An apron puts me in check. Cute, right? Like his mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
Freezing Derek\u2019s face. Richard appeared uneasy. Anita raised her eyebrows.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally?\u201d Richard questioned, eyeing Derek.<\/p>\n
\u201cJulia\u2019s just kidding,\u201d Derek anxiously replied.<\/p>\n
Stressful dinner. Derek was uneasy by the minute. I served meals robotically and talked only when requested.<\/p>\n
Derek went crazy once everyone left.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was that?\u201d he shouted, removing his tie. \u201cYou ruined my appearance!\u201d<\/p>\n
I pretended innocence. \u201cMe? Just doing what you want. Tradition, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not what I meant!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat *did* you mean?\u201d Asking gently. \u201cA \u2018house uniform\u2019 says what you expect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust thought\u2026 my mom always\u2014\u201d he began.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour mom chose that,\u201d I replied. \u201cYou tried to pick it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hands raced through his hair. \u201cThe uniform was a bad idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just the uniform,\u201d I added. Derek, I\u2019ll attempt being a homemaker, but I\u2019m not your maid. Is that what you want? Hire one.\u201d<\/p>\n
The apron is in the kitchen. I replied, \u201cI\u2019m done with this. Think carefully about why you married me\u2014to love me or to have a new mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he loved me, but I fell asleep.<\/p>\n
\u2014<\/p>\n
Derek kissed me farewell like nothing happened Monday morning. He returned home pale and dropped his keys noisily.<\/p>\n
\u201cBad day?\u201d I asked on the sofa in jeans and a t-shirt, laptop open.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got called into HR,\u201d he whispered. Someone took your behavior seriously. They inquired whether I mistreat women at work. I\u2019m being monitored for fairness.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pretended shocked. Wow, that\u2019s hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
His gaze fell on the kitchen apron.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou win,\u201d he whispered. \u201cI liked that lifestyle, but I didn\u2019t see how it could hurt you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shut my laptop. \u201cWe win together. I wear pants, you keep working. And I\u2019m applying for remote employment. I began today.\u201d<\/p>\n
I expected him to protest, but he nodded. \u201cSorry,\u201d he said. \u201cMy mom was happy, so I thought you would be too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019m not her,\u2019 I murmured softly.<\/p>\n
I hid the outfit in the closet that night. We could joke about it someday. Maybe we\u2019d throw it. Anyway, I smiled and left.<\/p>\n
This victory felt better than that apron.<\/p>\n
\u2014<\/p>\n
Lisa and I discussed it over coffee a week later. \u201cWas I mean?\u201d I requested.<\/p>\n
Shaking her head. Julia? He needed to hear it. You proved you\u2019re not a role\u2014he married you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nodding, I felt better. \u201cYeah. My old self is back.\u201d<\/p>\n
As I drove home, I decided to restart Derek. We spoke, made new rules, and built a mutually beneficial marriage. But I\u2019d watch. You never know when you need another strategy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I received a frilly apron from my new spouse a week after moving in. He termed it my \u201chouse uniform.\u201d He called it \u201cjust tradition.\u201d I was stunned but smiled and continued. He wanted a perfect housewife until I proved him incorrect. The wedding, honeymoon, and unpacking in our new house kept me enthusiastic one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30869"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30870,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30869\/revisions\/30870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}