Work Text:
Bridget sat at the kitchen bar, biro in hand. Humming softly to herself, EarPods in place, she stared down at the countertop. Although she’d become adept at typing on her IPad or using her laptop if she really needed to pump out a large piece, sometimes a plain sheet of lined yellow paper couldn’t be beat.
Absentmindedly lifting the pen to her mouth whilst chewing distractedly on the tip, she listened as one song faded and the power ballad Total Eclipse of the Heart began. Unable to stop herself, she began moving to the gothic aria, careful not to spin off the barstool and land in a heap on the hard tile floor. The continuous elevation of the tune fueled by guitar riffs and thunderous drums inspired her to quickly jot down a title: New Year’s Goals. Smiling at her accomplishment, she added a small square before each objective that could be checked when complete.
🔲Save $20,000
🔲Lose 1.5 stone
🔲Make it to work on time
🔲Eat healthy food
🔲Drink less alcohol
🔲Live peacefully
"I don't know what to do / And I'm always in the dark / We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks," Bridget lamented forcefully, belting out the words of romantic infatuation that often overwhelmed listeners to the point of collapse, laying her torso theatrically across the bar top. After the first chorus, a maelstrom of drums and explosions took the song to apocalyptic heights. "Together we can take it to the end of the line / Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time," she roared, now sitting up straight, arms wide. On the word "shadow" her voice cracked like a bolt of lightning. As the dust settled from the frantic intensity of her movements, her singing lowered to the soothing falsetto repetition of the "turn around bright eyes" refrain.
Hearing Bonnie Tyler’s voice slowly fading out after almost seven minutes, and without all the emotional fervor the tune had induced, Bridget looked down at her list. The next song in queue began playing, I Can See Clearly Now by Jimmy Cliff. Laughing out loud, she took her pen and changed the first sentence by crossing out three of the four zeros. From the next line she removed the 1, leaving only .5, and so on down the page, until she was left with:
🔲Save $20
🔲Lose .5 stone (post baby)
🔲Make it to work
🔲Eat food
🔲Drink alcohol (in moderation. Will be mum after all.)
🔲Live
Smiling happily at the amended goals she removed the AirPods, jumped off the stool, and ran straight into the solid form of her husband, who was standing directly behind her, laughing so hard both cheeks were damp.
“Jesus, Mark! You scared the bloody crap out of me!” she shrieked, pulse racing, hand held dramatically to her chest. Still chuckling, he pulled her close.
“For what it’s worth, I like your second set of goals better.”