The photo that Cristofer always carried with him during his difficult time in prison had disappeared. Nobody was allowed to enter his bedroom, not even Luke, so it was clear who had taken the photo. Cristofer turned to look at Estelle, silently questioning whether she was the one who had taken it.
Estelle felt guilty when their eyes met, and she pretended not to know what had happened. Instead, she asked, “What’s wrong? Is there something I can do to help?”
“No,” Cristofer replied, averting his gaze.
They had known each other for many years and understood each other well. Even the smallest expressions conveyed their thoughts. Cristofer knew she was acting ignorant and composed, and he chose not to confront her. To avoid any questions about why he kept the photo, he acted as if nothing had occurred and calmly got into bed.
With his injured legs, even this simple task took a lot of effort and time. Estelle was worried about Cristofer getting hurt again, so she gently helped him lift his legs onto the bed and tucked him in. Once she was sure he was comfortable and safe, she smiled with relief and said, “You can rest now. I’ll come back after I take a shower.”
“You don’t need to come back. You can go see the kids after your shower,” Cristofer said in a distant tone, trying to maintain his aloof demeanor.
Despite his coldness, Estelle didn’t notice it. Her clothes had gotten wet while helping Cristofer, so she needed to take a shower. Uncomfortable, she removed her wet coat and held it, saying calmly, “The children are already asleep. I don’t want to disturb them by going to their room.”
Cristofer, still emotionless, turned his face away and suggested, “Then you can return to your room and sleep after your shower.”
“No. I don’t want to be alone in my room. I’m… afraid of the dark,” Estelle admitted. She was concerned about Cristofer and didn’t want him to act recklessly when no one was around. So, she used her fear of the dark as an excuse to stay with him.
Cristofer was lost in thought for a moment after hearing Estelle’s words, reminiscing about their early days of marriage. He couldn’t help but think, ‘Fate can be quite ironic.’
Turning his head, Cristofer gazed into Estelle’s eyes and asked, “Do you understand the implications of what you just said?”
Summoning her courage, Estelle took a deep breath and replied, “I’m genuinely afraid of the dark. You’re aware of that.”
Cristofer continued to stare at her, saying nothing, while Estelle met his gaze without flinching. After a few moments, Cristofer looked away. Estelle tucked him in once more and whispered, “You should go to sleep. I’ll be back after I shower.” With that, she hurriedly left the room before Cristofer could respond.
Cristofer had been clenching the sheet tightly to suppress the urge to ask her to stay. His hands had turned white, but he only relaxed after Estelle had left.
Estelle proceeded to the children’s room and found them all sleeping peacefully. She tucked them in, left the room quietly, returned to her own room, gathered fresh clothes, and made her way to the bathroom. Along the way, she sighed, thinking what she should do if she couldn’t reconcile with Cristofer.
She hurried through her shower, dried her hair, and tied it up. After changing into her clothes, she returned to Cristofer’s bedroom. She was mentally prepared for him to drive her away again. To her surprise, when she gently pushed the bedroom door open, she saw Cristofer sound asleep.
Cristofer had been exhausted that day, sleeping so deeply that even the noise of Estelle entering didn’t wake him.
Quietly closing the door behind her, Estelle went to the other side of the bed, lifted the covers, and slipped in, lying beside him.
Cristofer was a man of contradictions. Despite the harsh words he had spoken to Estelle earlier, he left a generous portion of the bed and a significant portion of the blanket for her. Lying on the bed, Estelle turned to look at Cristofer, thinking, ‘You care about me, even if you won’t admit it. It’s been so long since we’ve shared a bed, and I haven’t had a good look at you in ages.’
Cristofer lay there with his hands resting on his belly, his chest rising and falling steadily. Estelle’s eyes moved from his forehead to his prominent nose and then to his lips.
Observing Cristofer’s pale face, Estelle thought, ‘Cristofer, you’ve lost so much weight. You must have suffered greatly in prison, and you probably haven’t taken good care of yourself since your release. It’s my fault that you’re like this, and I’m deeply sorry. All I can do now is take care of you and help you move past your painful past. I hope you’ll cooperate with me.’
Unconsciously, Estelle extended her hand, wanting to touch Cristofer’s face but hesitating. She whispered, “I’m sorry,” and gently smoothed his furrowed brow with her fingertips. She withdrew her hand after a moment.
Cristofer remained still, but the slight trembling of his eyelashes indicated that he was awake. Hearing Estelle’s apology, he reflected, ‘I’m the one who should apologize to you. I’ve wanted to say sorry for so long, but our relationship is such a mess that I can’t even find the right opportunity to do it.’
Gradually, Estelle’s breathing evened out, and she drifted off to sleep. They were so close that Cristofer could catch a faint whiff of the jasmine scent clinging to her body. Being with her drained more of his energy than any work ever could. He felt like even uttering a few words to her would exhaust him entirely. As fatigue overcame him, he grew drowsy and eventually fell asleep, entering into a dream.
In this dream, he was a student once more, busily packing his school bag. His grandfather sat in the living room, sipping coffee, and wished him a good morning, urging him to be careful on his way to school.
As he prepared to leave for school, his mother placed a box of star-shaped candies in his arms, instructing, “Give these to Estelle.” His typically stern father wore a rare smile and told him, “Don’t make her cry again.”
Cristofer rode his bicycle through the familiar streets to see Estelle. Upon reaching the Hudson’s House, he was greeted by falling petals, and he extended his hand towards Estelle while saying softly, “Estelle, you’re here at last.” Everything in Cristofer’s dream felt delightful.
Back in reality, Estelle was lying in bed, momentarily stunned by his words, thinking that Cristofer had woken up. However, when she noticed his eyes remained closed, she realized he was talking in his sleep. She responded gently, “Yes, I’m here,” and saw a smile grace Cristofer’s sleeping face.