A Funny Love Story: Marrying the Galaxy’s Defender

I thought I’d try something new on this blog. Here’s a little short story that any married couple can relate too, even if your spouse isn’t out saving the galaxy.

For readers & lovers of:

• Superhero romance
• Romantic comedy
• Cosmic adventures
• Marriage humor / Domestic bliss
• Funny love stories

Saving the World, One Dinner at a Time: A Superhero’s Wife Short Story

The ground rumbled beneath Sarah’s feet as she scrubbed at the stubborn casserole dish. Outside, the sky flickered with bursts of purple and gold—Jake was at it again. She couldn’t quite make out whether it was a rogue black hole or a cosmic ray this time. She’d stopped trying to keep track. One celestial disaster blurred into the next when you’d been married to Nebula as long as she had.

BOOM!

The house shook with a low growl, and Sarah braced herself against the counter, sighing as a fine layer of drywall dust sprinkled from the ceiling onto her freshly cleaned floors. “Perfect,” she muttered, peering at the clock. Seven p.m. Dinner had been ready for hours—Jake’s favorite meatloaf—now cooling under foil on the table. And where was he?

Saving the galaxy. Again.

She finished scrubbing the dish and set it on the rack, glancing out the window. There it was—ZAP!—the telltale flash of cosmic energy. Yep, definitely Jake.

The kitchen was dimly lit, the flicker of interstellar destruction casting shadows across the walls. Sarah leaned against the counter, watching a particularly large nebula form in the distance. The kids next door would probably think it was awesome. They had posters of Nebula plastered all over their room. If only they knew.

Her lips twitched into a wry smile as she thought about how Jake and her marriage had started. In the early days, she was the damsel in distress, trapped in some interdimensional rift while he swooped in at the last second, cape flowing with cosmic energy. Back then, she found the whole thing thrilling—being married to the Nebula. She’d even tried to join him on missions, convinced she could change him, make him see that they could be a space-faring duo. But after one too many close calls with black holes, she realized that wasn’t who he needed her to be.

And now? Now she found herself scrolling through online coupons while he blasted through another galactic threat.

Another explosion rattled the windows, and Sarah sighed, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She wanted to be mad—really mad—but honestly, it was hard to summon much anger after so many years. Sure, she had hoped they’d have more time together. Maybe even a quiet night in. But instead, she got…well, this.

The back door swung open with a whoosh of cosmic wind, snapping her from her thoughts. There Jake stood, larger than life, his starry cape shimmering, space dust smeared across his jaw, and one glove missing. He had that same disheveled, slightly apologetic look he always wore after a fight. “I’m—”

“Late,” Sarah finished, turning back to the sink. “I know.” She was already putting the foil over the meatloaf back into place, like a well-rehearsed routine.

Jake stepped into the kitchen cautiously, like he wasn’t sure if he was facing another cosmic entity or just his wife’s long-simmering frustration. “I tried to get here sooner, but—”

“There was a black hole, or an alien invasion, or a supernova,” Sarah said, not even bothering to turn around. She had that part down, too. “What was it this time?”

“A sentient nebula… and a black hole,” Jake mumbled, pulling off his mask and setting it on the counter. “Team-up situation.”

“Of course,” Sarah muttered, folding her arms and staring at the table still set for two. “The old nebula-black hole team-up. Classic.”

Jake scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, stepping closer. “Look, I know you wanted me home for dinner—”

“No, it’s fine,” Sarah interrupted. “I’ll just feed the meatloaf to the sentient nebula when it comes swirling through the door next.”

Jake’s mouth twitched into a smile, but he quickly wiped it away. “I’m really sorry. You know I would’ve been here if I could.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the story of our lives, isn’t it?” Sarah grabbed the dish towel again, twisting it in her hands. “It’s just… I’ve been thinking, maybe… maybe you could, I don’t know, take a night off every once in a while? Maybe let some other cosmic hero deal with the rampaging space anomalies for a change.”

Jake winced, knowing this conversation had been a long time coming. “I—” He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. “I can’t. You know that. The universe—”

“Needs you,” Sarah finished, shaking her head. “Yeah, yeah. You’re Nebula. Defender of the Galaxy, keeper of cosmic peace, destroyer of my social life.”

The sarcasm wasn’t lost on Jake. He stepped closer, his brow furrowed. “I want to be here more, really, I do. But if I don’t stop these things, people—”

“People are gonna get sucked into a black hole. I know.” Sarah slumped into one of the kitchen chairs, rubbing her temples. “But you know what sucks too? Being married to a guy who’s only here long enough to track space dust across the floor before he’s off to punch another sentient gas cloud.”

Jake chuckled lightly. “I don’t always track space dust… sometimes it’s alien goo.”

Sarah shot him a look, but her lips twitched despite herself.

“Look, I fell in love with you because you’re a hero,” she said, her voice softening. “Both in the cosmos and in this house. I just… sometimes I wish the house got a little more time.”

Jake stepped forward, crouching down in front of her so he could look her in the eyes. “I know. I’m sorry. But even when I’m out there, I’m thinking of you. I’ll always come back, no matter what. You know that, right?”

Sarah sighed, resting her hand on his cheek. “Yeah, I know. But next time, could you at least try to come back in time for dessert? You know how I feel about missing chocolate cake.”

Jake grinned, that boyish grin she couldn’t resist, even when she was trying to be mad at him. “Deal. I’ll make sure the next cosmic crisis gets wrapped up by eight. Maybe eight-thirty.”

Just then, his communicator beeped urgently. Jake’s face fell as he checked it. “I… I have to go. There’s another situation in the Andromeda galaxy.”

Sarah felt a familiar pang of disappointment, but nodded. “Go. The universe needs you.”

Jake hesitated, then looked at her with determination. “No. The universe has other heroes. Right now, you need me more.”

With a quick call, he delegated the emergency to another cosmic defender. Turning back to Sarah, he grinned. “Now, about that chocolate cake?”

Sarah stared at him, joy spreading across her face. “You’re… staying?”

“I’m staying,” Jake confirmed, pulling her into a hug. “I realized something out there today. The galaxy will always need saving, but our moments together? Those are irreplaceable. I can’t promise I’ll always be here for dinner, but I can promise to try harder to balance both worlds.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged him back. “That’s all I ever wanted. Just… effort.” She knew that she’d never change him, nor did she want to. She just didn’t want to feel…forgotten.

He pulled back, cupping her face in his hands. “You’ve been my hero all along, you know that? Supporting me, keeping our home together. It’s time I returned the favor.”

Wiping away a happy tear, Sarah laughed. “Well, Nebula, your first mission is dishes. Think you can handle that?”

“It would be my honor,” Jake said with a mock salute.

As they stood side by side at the sink, laughing and flicking soap suds at each other, the sounds of the cosmos faded into the background. She realized that sometimes, compromise meant knowing when to bend and when to stand firm. And sometimes, it meant finding joy in the small moments between the big battles. Taking a moment or two to reconnect.

She looked at her husband, soot still smudged across his face, and smiled. This wasn’t the fairy tale ending Sarah had imagined when they first started dating, but it was better. It was real, it was theirs, and it was, in its own way, a true happily ever after.

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If you enjoyed this, please check out my free collection of Superhero Wives Stories HERE, or my full-length novel (The Secret Lives of Superhero Wives) that captures the zany world of being married to a hero.