It was easier to walk away from the risk, ignore the tormenting facts and pretend that you do not care about the effect it might have on you; it needed determination to acknowledge the risk, accept the torment and face it, make a choice that would change the course of your life.
She had decided to walk away, no, she had decided to run away to protect someone she loved more than herself, but –
Life had different plans for her.
She felt his presence in bed as he stirred and wrapped his arm around her. She turned to look towards the man sleeping in her bed. The man she had grown fond of, each passing day. The man she loved, the man she had married.
She often watched him sleep; often wondered whether she was a part of his dream. She knew, he always was a part of hers. There was not a single night when she did not dream about him. Dream about the day her life had changed – the day he had changed her life.
She had decided to walk away, no, she had decided to run away to protect someone she loved more than herself, but –
Life had different plans for her.
She felt his presence in bed as he stirred and wrapped his arm around her. She turned to look towards the man sleeping in her bed. The man she had grown fond of, each passing day. The man she loved, the man she had married.
She often watched him sleep; often wondered whether she was a part of his dream. She knew, he always was a part of hers. There was not a single night when she did not dream about him. Dream about the day her life had changed – the day he had changed her life.
Despite the risk of waking him up; she moved closer to him and kissed him on the lips. She loved him, more than she wanted to admit. He had always been there for her; had supported her and she was thankful for his presence in her life. There had been a time when she had not been so sure; when she had doubted his feelings. She often wondered what would have happened had she stood firm on the decision she had taken. She would have been devastated, eventually. Even though she had not been madly in love with him, then – she had definitely been attracted. More than that, she had appreciated his presence in her life, the role that he played was much more valuable than her conflicted feelings for him.
She climbed out of bed and tied her hair above her neck with the help of a clutcher. She tiptoed towards the kids’ room and peeked inside. Her children, seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter were sleeping peacefully. She smiled as she watched her children; nothing was more important to her than their happiness. She could not believe there had been a time when she had chosen to disrupt her life and move away. She shook her head and walked towards the kitchen. She placed the coffee-pot on the burner and made preparations for pancake.
She felt his presence even before he could walk closer to her. She poured coffee in her mug and as he wrapped his arms around her she pretended to be surprised. He kissed her on the neck and traced his way up to her jaw. Desperate to feel his lips on hers she put down the coffee-pot and turned around. He kissed her on her lips and she responded; kissing him with fervour. He tightened his grip on her waist as they continued kissing. Coffee and pancakes could wait, she thought as she put her arms around him and ran her fingers through his hair.
He moved his hand from her waist to her back and had almost reached her chest when they heard a noise. The foreplay ended abruptly as their son called out
“Mom, are you in the kitchen?”
She tried to free herself from his grip and he let go unwillingly. He knew what her priorities were and he respected them. He hoped their son was awakened because of a bad dream and would go back to sleep again. He was aroused and needed to finish what they had started. He walked towards the kids’ bedroom to see that their son was sitting in bed and she was kneeling on the floor near him. He was trying to put on his prosthetic leg and she seemed to be helping him. In no way was the kid going to bed again; his son was an early-riser; he should have remembered that before igniting the passion for the kid’s mother.
He walked back to the bedroom and slid into the bed.
He had not expected her to come back to the bedroom hence he was genuinely surprised when she sat next to him in bed.
“I have put him back to sleep” she whispered in his ears. He removed the clutcher from her hair and pulled her in bed.
“Are you sure?” he asked her before taking off his t-shirt and starting to undress his wife.
She did not want to but she fell asleep after making love. The smell of pancakes woke her up. She sat up straight in bed and quickly put on her clothes. She opened the bedroom door and rushed towards the kitchen. Her children were already having their breakfast and her husband was making pancakes. He had even helped her son, their son, with the prosthetic leg. She smiled.
He had never objected to doing it but she had never let him. Not because she did not believe him to do it properly; it was because she did not want to burden him with her responsibility.
It had been more than a year they had been married. They had even started talking about getting pregnant, yet, the remnants of the past had not entirely been wiped out of their lives. Maybe, he did not think about it but she did. She never told him, lest she hurt his feelings but it was not easy for her to get over the insecurity when it came to her handicapped son. The son, for whom she had decided to walk away from everything and everyone almost two years ago – on the day she had seen him with his ex-wife.
Her son had already grown fond of him and his daughter. If he had let his ex-wife back into his life it would have meant that her son could no longer spend the quality time with that family, the way he had gotten used to. Moreover, she had been worried about her own conflicting feelings. After her shift at work, she had walked back home and hurriedly packed their stuff. She had almost moved out when she had been stopped by him. Her crying son at one arm and luggage in another; she had been caught in action by her neighbour. He had then convinced her to stay back; giving her reasons to stay. He loved her, he had said. Most importantly, he had wanted her son to be a part of his and his daughter’s life. The fear that he would abandon her son had then been erased from her mind and she had changed her decision.
“Mommy” her daughter’s voice brought her back to the present.
(Read story 49 for the extended version of the story, even though this standalone version makes sense in its own way. Call that story as prequel to this one)
She climbed out of bed and tied her hair above her neck with the help of a clutcher. She tiptoed towards the kids’ room and peeked inside. Her children, seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter were sleeping peacefully. She smiled as she watched her children; nothing was more important to her than their happiness. She could not believe there had been a time when she had chosen to disrupt her life and move away. She shook her head and walked towards the kitchen. She placed the coffee-pot on the burner and made preparations for pancake.
She felt his presence even before he could walk closer to her. She poured coffee in her mug and as he wrapped his arms around her she pretended to be surprised. He kissed her on the neck and traced his way up to her jaw. Desperate to feel his lips on hers she put down the coffee-pot and turned around. He kissed her on her lips and she responded; kissing him with fervour. He tightened his grip on her waist as they continued kissing. Coffee and pancakes could wait, she thought as she put her arms around him and ran her fingers through his hair.
He moved his hand from her waist to her back and had almost reached her chest when they heard a noise. The foreplay ended abruptly as their son called out
“Mom, are you in the kitchen?”
She tried to free herself from his grip and he let go unwillingly. He knew what her priorities were and he respected them. He hoped their son was awakened because of a bad dream and would go back to sleep again. He was aroused and needed to finish what they had started. He walked towards the kids’ bedroom to see that their son was sitting in bed and she was kneeling on the floor near him. He was trying to put on his prosthetic leg and she seemed to be helping him. In no way was the kid going to bed again; his son was an early-riser; he should have remembered that before igniting the passion for the kid’s mother.
He walked back to the bedroom and slid into the bed.
He had not expected her to come back to the bedroom hence he was genuinely surprised when she sat next to him in bed.
“I have put him back to sleep” she whispered in his ears. He removed the clutcher from her hair and pulled her in bed.
“Are you sure?” he asked her before taking off his t-shirt and starting to undress his wife.
She did not want to but she fell asleep after making love. The smell of pancakes woke her up. She sat up straight in bed and quickly put on her clothes. She opened the bedroom door and rushed towards the kitchen. Her children were already having their breakfast and her husband was making pancakes. He had even helped her son, their son, with the prosthetic leg. She smiled.
He had never objected to doing it but she had never let him. Not because she did not believe him to do it properly; it was because she did not want to burden him with her responsibility.
It had been more than a year they had been married. They had even started talking about getting pregnant, yet, the remnants of the past had not entirely been wiped out of their lives. Maybe, he did not think about it but she did. She never told him, lest she hurt his feelings but it was not easy for her to get over the insecurity when it came to her handicapped son. The son, for whom she had decided to walk away from everything and everyone almost two years ago – on the day she had seen him with his ex-wife.
Her son had already grown fond of him and his daughter. If he had let his ex-wife back into his life it would have meant that her son could no longer spend the quality time with that family, the way he had gotten used to. Moreover, she had been worried about her own conflicting feelings. After her shift at work, she had walked back home and hurriedly packed their stuff. She had almost moved out when she had been stopped by him. Her crying son at one arm and luggage in another; she had been caught in action by her neighbour. He had then convinced her to stay back; giving her reasons to stay. He loved her, he had said. Most importantly, he had wanted her son to be a part of his and his daughter’s life. The fear that he would abandon her son had then been erased from her mind and she had changed her decision.
“Mommy” her daughter’s voice brought her back to the present.
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