We had just gotten into bed, exhausted. It was not especially different from most other days. We both worked. We shared the tasks of getting our 3 and 5-year-old daughters to and from daycare. The house had to be taken care of. Meals had to be made and cleaned up. We had to go shopping to have meals at all. The kids were growing so fast they constantly needed new clothing. When Barney or Elmo came to town, we took them. And that's just the "A" list. It was a miracle we were only exhausted and not comatose.

"You know," said Paul, "there is this thing we used to do, I don't know if you remember it, it's called sex."

He had a point. Our love life was on life support.

"So, I was thinking that on your birthday, I would treat you to an entire day of foreplay and we'll see where that leads."

"Let me get this straight, big spender, you're going to spend all day Saturday arousing me so that by Saturday night I'll let you do whatever you want? Whose present is this?"

"If it requires me to have sex with you to please you, I'm willing to make the sacrifice."

"What did I do to deserve such a husband."

"You do mean that in a nice way, don't you?"

"I need some sleep."

I awoke Saturday by myself, without the assistance of a nagging child. As I stretched, I felt someone kissing my cheek, Paul, I assumed. He put his arms around me and slid over.

As he moved to kiss me on the lips, I objected. "We don't have time now. I need to get the kids up and get them breakfast."

"They're in the kitchen eating. We should have a good 10 to 15 minutes before they descend on us."

That was enough time for deep, passionate kissing; temperature-raising, skin-flushing kissing; goose bumping, nipple-teasing... "Hold on. We don't have time for that part. I'll get so worked up I won't want to stop and we don't have time."

"But it will build the tension."

"Damn right it will build the tension. I'll get a set of blue... whatever it is women get a blue set of."

"Just a little bit?"

"Just a little bit."

I was getting worried it had been more than just a little bit, when we heard the little noisemakers scurrying up the stairs. "Okay, we've got to stop now," I told him. I got off the bed and had taken two steps when I saw him do it. "What on earth are you doing?"

"I'm stripping the bed."

"Why? To what possible purpose could you be stripping the bed?"

"So I can do the laundry. After you take your shower, of course."

Where was I? Who was this man? He looked just like my husband but his behavior was aberrant. There was only one possible explanation. He was having an affair!

I moved in a daze to the bathroom. No, there was another possible explanation. I was dreaming.

After my shower, the insanity continued. He came into the bathroom, gathered up my towel and the clothes from the hamper and disappeared out the door.

I put on my makeup and entered the bedroom to look for a sweat suit so that I could begin my busy day. There was so much to do.

But there he was, smiling, cheerful. "No sweat suit today, honey. Get dressed up. Go shopping. Go get a facial. Relax. Do whatever you want. I'm going to take care of the kids today."

"But the house is a mess."

"Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out. Go. Enjoy."

Had I missed a press release about the new movie, The Stepford Husbands? No matter. The next time I got this opportunity might be never. "Okay, I will."

I hummed as I looked for an especially appealing outfit. I was going on a date - with myself.

What to do? Too many choices. I was accustomed to having only one choice. Now, I could do almost anything. It was nearly overwhelming. Paul had made two good suggestions. Facial and shopping. Come to think of it, there was no reason I couldn't do both. I could do both and see a movie. I could have a lunch I didn't have to make or clean up. I could relax on a bench by the river and watch families having fun, bikers, skaters, runners, rowers practicing on the water, ducks looking for leftovers. I could just do nothing, away from family and cleaning and responsibilities. It was delicious.

I decided to try for a facial first. It would be pretty hard to get an appointment on such short notice so the sooner I called, the better. I called Sondra's Salon. My in-laws had given me a gift facial there a few years back. Sondra's had no openings but took my cell number in case somebody cancelled.

I needed a cell so Paul or daycare or the parents could contact me at any time with an emergency I needed to attend to before the other things I had to do first. But today Paul wasn't going to call and Sondra's might. I drove to the mall in which it was located. That was as good a place to shop as any and, if an appointment became available, I would be right there.

Shopping was not as much fun as I imagined it would be. I'm too disciplined. There were lots of things I would have loved to buy. But then I might not be able to afford things I needed to buy. Two kids, a mortgage, car loans and a barely furnished living room warned me against profligate spending. I could, however, profligately window shop. And I did. I lusted to my heart's content. The purchases I made in my mind would have required an entourage to carry them to my car. To top it all off, Sondra's called. After indulging my shopping fantasies, I got to relax and be pampered.

My facial was satisfying in another way. As I waited I got to listen to gossip. I didn't know the people, but it was like listening to a soap opera which I never get to do because I'm out working.

All the tension fled my body as I lay there and let their secret recipe avocado-cucumber mask slowly dry on my face. I smiled as I remembered the melodramatic tales of woe around me. I thought of my loving husband who had freed me up to have this experience, my wonderful children and the job I loved going to every day. What better birthday gift than to realize how lucky I am to have such a happy life? Not perfect, but very good.