Pillars of Love.

Xavier was sitting next to his wife, wondering if he was merely going through the motions. His wife, Sheree, had her arms folded, she and her mother had virtually never stopped nagging him. Finally, he had agreed to attend this latest trend of relationship counselling, very reluctantly. He stared at the door of the counselor's office, still bemused about whether he had ever known what a real relationship was, if he had really had one.

Xavier had a cute wife, but he felt that she had trapped him into a marriage of convenience, that he had sold his soul to perdition, feeding her wishes. She had made all this fuss that she did not feel beloved enough, some time after their shotgun wedding. Now Xavier felt jaded, he felt he had to keep on performing to Sheree's standards, as a top rating insurance Manager, maintaining their home.

Sure, he loved their kids, Oscar and Tilly. But he still wondered if he was ever going to be free of the future, relax, plan some leisure, meet someone who would give him real pleasure. Making love was no longer fun. Xavier felt under the pump, that Sheree would be on the phone to her mother as quick as a flash.

He had learnt what emotional blackmail was, on an ongoing basis, but hid his emotions really well, keeping the peace. It had just happened, Sheree had thrown her cap at him when they were both too young to know better. Isabel, looking very hostile for a mediator, opened the door to her office. Xavier was planning to toe the party line, he would do anything not to annoy Sheree. He could dream as much as he liked, wondering what this young chick counselor knew about a man's well being and fantasies.

He sat there, listening to Isabel, made some effort, still resenting this distraction from what might only be jargon. Sheree had always been a small town woman, never wanting to reach for the stars. She spent half her days with her mother, neither of them totally seemed satisfied with anything but checking what each other and their limited friends were criticizing about them. That included each other.

It was a classic mother-in-law tale of domination and control. May, her name was. She even came over and checked Sheree's surfaces, making everything gleamed dusting and sparkling had been completed. Sure, she doted on Oscar and Tilly, and could be very generous, but it all came at a cost. May spent her days, playing off Sheree and her two sisters. Gossip and slight offences, even a virus in the family, set her right off. She was even born on Halloween!

Xavier believed that this whole hour with a relationship guru was a complete waste of time and needless chit chat. Definitely purely a chick thing. He still had the gardening to finish, and heaps of work he had brought home. Isabel asked him a direct question what his real problem was. He quietly suspected she knew May, this was one of their cunning attention-seeking fads May had read about in a women's magazine.

Xavier silently really felt that Sheree and her mother could not force or buy his love. He did mutter some form of a response. Isabel seemed to soften, telling him. "You need to both stop being so self-focused on yourselves. Xavier, give yourself some credit for all the good things to accentuate. "

"Is that your suggestion?' he asked.

"Yes, you and Sheree are doing all the good things. You are an attractive, quite young couple, take a step back. Bring your "A-Game" to rebuilding your couple as a friendship. Next, write down five things you like about each other, then swap notes."

Xavier could do this, he believed in being a friendly, reliable guy. So he headed his sheet of paper, "Sheree. 1. I like she is reliable. 2. She is very cute. 3 She is a good mother. 4. She is a great cook, I love new recipes. 5. She can be fun when her mother goes far away on a trip."

Then Sheree gave him his five good attributes. 1. Xavier is my guy. 2. He is loyal. 3. He is a terrific father, our kids worship him. 5. Xavier never yells at anyone, he is a true Christian.

Isabel did not read their notes, but asked the couple if they had learnt anything. Sheree said, " I am sending my mother to visit each of my sisters interstate." Xavier laughed, he had been very reluctant to suggest that. Share and share alike. Really, he suddenly decided, he should stop worrying about nothing really. He had Sheree could focus on rekindling the pillars of their family love. Contemplating the plan of May staying with Sheree's sisters far away might be very helpful. He felt like hugging Isabel, he was known for his friendship hugs.

Xavier drove Sheree home, he could certainly bring his "A-Game." His mother-in-law left for her house, Oscar and Tilly hugged their folks, May could get on their wick too. He opened one of his best wines, and poured Sheree a glass. Then he told her to rest and enjoy, he was planning some creative ideas for dinner. This was his initiative.

His meal was not gourmet, but he told his family some clean jokes, and kicked back. Not much later, he showered the kids for the first time, they were thrilled. Story time was funny, Xavier and Sheree said a little prayer with each of their children that all was good as gold, they were doing great, and Xavier loved them.

Xavier told Sheree to light all those tealights in their bedroom. Soon, the loving couple were doing more than friendship hugs. Sheree's filmy negligee was not on too long. Xavier did know what true love was, it was why he had built a very strong foundation, for his family. Hell, he would send May on a cruise overseas, with like-minded seniors, across the oceans, where there was no phone contact.

Our hero of this story united again. He and Sheree, Oscar and Tilly, could love and pray together, not only on Sundays at their worship. He was the source of building the future of their pillars of love. The lights dimmed, friendship hugs anytime they wanted. It is the modern world, being too self-focused on personal non-events. We can all do that, quite human. Xavier held Sheree's hand in bed, after their body blitz, pillars of love. He caused her to smile, almost purr, as he said, "Have we met here before?"