When we got home, he laid me down on the sofa in the living room before getting me some water and my medicine. He then squatted next to me and said, “Do you still want to take your meds?”
I nodded, reached out to take medicine from him, and swallowed it. I managed to calm down a bit after that. Feeling exhausted, I proceeded to lean back on the sofa.
He sat down and stayed right there next to me throughout a very long silence. I felt lucky that every time something bad happened, there was always someone who would stand by me, and we would pull through whatever it was together.
When Grandma died, George Fuller stayed with me. And now it was Marcus’ turn. I had no clue how much longer I could stay sane, but I always felt that perhaps tomorrow, or someday later, I would not be able to hold on anymore.
Depression kept coming back. I could not tell whether I was just really bad at coping with it or was it destined to be this way.
I fell asleep without knowing it. I did not know how long I had slept, but night had fallen by the time I woke up.
Noises came from the living room. I rose to check, only to find Marcus in the kitchen, donning an apron as he cooked. His stance and actions resembled those of a master chef.
Hearing movements coming from behind, he turned around and, upon seeing my conscious self, smiled as he said, “You should go wash your face. Dinner will be ready soon!”
I leaned on the door frame, watching him prepare the food with great expertise. “Were you a student at Neo Oriental Academy?”
He chuckled, pride glinting in his eyes. “Ho? You’re talking about that famous culinary school? Well, hearing this question come from you, that should be a compliment!”
I nodded, not holding back on flattery. “You seem to know your stuff very well!”
He turned off the stove, looked back at me, and nagged, “Go wash up!”
I nodded and obediently entered the bedroom for a quick wash-up. By the time I came out, he had a full course ready on the table, complete with a pleasant aroma.
I sat down at the dining table, and he brought me a bowl of rice. “You should eat more. When you’re done, we’ll go for a walk outside!”
I nodded. The food was wonderful, but I did not have much of an appetite and only managed to consume several mouthfuls.
Despite that, Marcus did not force me to continue. He merely said, “We have fruits in the fridge, and snacks too! Go get what you like.”
I chuckled, “Have you always been this experienced in taking care of women?” As a woman, I admired his attention to detail.
He nodded and replied frankly, “That’s how I take care of Snowball!”
That caught me off guard.
I could not go on. I looked in the refrigerator and found that he bought quite a number of fruits. He probably went out on his own when I was asleep.
I took out a small box of strawberries and was about to wash them in the kitchen when he called out, “They’re already washed. You can go ahead and eat them!”
I… Fine, he’s quite considerate.
He cleared the table while I returned to the sofa. Noting my lack of activity, he suggested, “Why don’t you change into something else? We can go for a walk outside later!”
I opened my mouth to speak. Initially, I did not want to go, but then I thought, why not? We need to live a little, don’t we?
It was late autumn, so the sun would descend earlier than usual, casting our surroundings into darkness. Marcus was rather good-looking, so much so that he managed to draw the attention of the many people wandering around the residence, especially young women, who also happened to be out for a walk.
After some time, I got tired. I sat down on a bench under a street lamp. Looking up at him, I said, “The woman who marries you in the future will be very happy.”
With both hands in his pockets, he arched his eyebrows and said in a laid-back manner, “Are you happy now?”
I froze. Without knowing it, certain memories began to flood into my mind, and for a while, I bowed my head without saying another word.
Marcus must have perceived my emotions, for he let out a loose sigh. He stayed beside me and patted me on the back, “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean it!”
I shook my head. It had nothing to do with him. It was my own problem, and I could not get over it. No matter how hard I tried, I seemed to be stuck.
“Did you get him… a funeral portrait?” I choked. My hands had begun to tremble on their own.
Pursing his lips, he lifted a hand to wipe away my tears. He sighed silently, “Don’t look. It’ll get better!”
In the end, I did not have the courage to bury my own child myself, nor did I have the guts to see what he looked like.
Marcus said I had an adorable baby boy with a healthy weight who was fair and chubby.
I could not bear to see him. I was afraid I would lose control and would want to die along with him. I was afraid that, if I saw him, I could not bear to have him buried.
“Fine, I won’t!” I lowered my eyes. At the same time, I pinched my palm so hard it actually hurt.
It was getting late, and the night got cooler too. Marcus rose to his feet before assisting me as well, “Let’s get back inside! It’s cold out here.”
I nodded. Slowly, we headed back to the residential building together.
As soon as we got there, he came to a halt. I looked up at him. He was staring grumpily at something straight ahead. I followed his gaze.
I froze at the sight of our guest. Why is Sally here?
When she saw Marcus and me, Sally sprinted towards us and pulled me away from Marcus. Holding onto me, she asked, “Letty, where have you been all this time? What happened? Where’s the baby?”
Her series of questions left me at a loss. I instinctively looked at Marcus, who furrowed his brows.
Eyes still on Sally, he said in a solemn tone, “What are you doing here?”
Stunned by his inquiry, Sally turned to him, her brows knitted, “Marc, why is Letty with you? Why haven’t you gone home? What exactly is going on here? Ashton has gone crazy looking for Letty! Do you think it’s appropriate for you to do this?”
