I unpacked in the kitchen while my husband sat in the family room checking our bank account.

“Did you spend $95 at Home Depot?” He asked.

“Yea…” I admitted.

“Ok, on what?”

“Paint.”

“Paint? Why did you buy paint? What are you painting?”

“I’m painting a wall out there blue, and—“

“—You’re painting one wall BLUE? That is going to look HORRIBLE! You don’t even know what you’re doing!”

“Yea, well that’s why I hired someone—“

“—You HIRED SOMEONE?

“Yea, well, like you said, I didn’t know what I was doing, but it can’t be that hard.”

“Who did you hire?”

“A guy…”

“A guy? What’s his name?”

“Umm… Let me check…”

“You just hired some guy?”

“Yea, well his background check came back clean.”

“…?”

“He’s a Task Rabbit, and he used to have a painting company. He’s going to do [Lil’ J’s] room too It’s only going to cost $100—“

“–$100 to paint [Lil’ J’s] room and that wall? That’s only $25 an hour.”

“Yea, I know, but that was his offer, and this isn’t his main job, besides professionals were quoting me like $350-$450 for her room and—“

“THREE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS? We don’t need to be spending that right now.”

“Right, which is why I’m paying $100.”

“Why are you painting just one wall blue? That’s stupid.”

“It’s called an accent wall. And [Lil’ J] will have grey walls with a pink accent wall. Want to see pictures I’ve been saving on Pinterest?”

“It doesn’t matter, you’ve already decided anyway.”

“Were you really going to have an opinion about her room?”

“No.”

“Well ok then.”

“But you still could have told me instead of just going out and deciding it all yourself.”

“Yea, well I knew you’d just say no, or say plain walls are fine.”

“They are, they’re great!”

“See! And I knew you’d come around eventually.”

“So you knew I’d say no but you did it anyway?”

… Basically. I thought. Sometimes it’s easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission.

“I guess…” I said.

“What time is the painter coming over?” He asked me.

“8am—“

“–EIGHT IN THE MORNING?!”

“Are you just going to freak out over every answer I give you?”

“Where is he coming from?”

“Central Austi—“

“CENTRAL?…”

We both laughed.

After the painter came and went I was giddy at the nice job well done.

“Are you happy?” He asked me.

“I am, are you?”

“I’m happy if you are happy,” he said.

And that’s why I love him.

Tags: He says she says, he says/ she says, home improvement