I sighed as soon as he left. I don’t want to start being comfortable with him. I still hate him for what he did. I was surprised yet pleased that he took care of me leaving his job, not everyone does that and the fact that he did was melting my heart and I didn’t like that. I can’t fall for him again. I started preparing for work although I wasn’t feeling too well, I got dressed for work and was taking my medicine when Evie came in.
“Good morning mommy.” she greeted running to hug me.
“Evie. How have you been?” I asked excitedly
“Fine. Kel said I couldn’t see you because you’re sick,” she said sadly.
“Yes but I’m better now,” I said smiling
“You don’t look better. Is he making you work when you’re sick?” she questioned unbelievably
“Of course not. Kel is not that bad, he was taking care of me yesterday, I’m the one who insisted on working.”
“Why? ” she asked as if I was insane
“Because Kel needs to go work.”
“Or you don’t just want to stay with me.” she sounded hurt?
“Evie, how would you think that? ” I asked pulling her close to me and sneezing so I had to move back a little.
“It’s true. You don’t want me, you didn’t even tell me you were getting married to Kel. You don’t love me, it’s just him.” she was crying now. How on earth would she think I loved Kel, even more than her?
It broke my heart to see her like this, it just made me feel bad and guilty. “Evie, I love you not Kel or anyone else, just you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Then why don’t you want to stay with me. Even my father doesn’t want me. If you people knew you didn’t want me then why did you give birth to me?” she didn’t just ask that.
Her question wounded my heart. She rarely brought up the issue of her father and the time she did I always brushed it off then going to say why did we give birth to her, that was more painful than my break up with Kel and I couldn’t stop the tears. I know I didn’t exactly want her when I did but I never considered abortion or adoption, I had wanted to keep her. I didn’t exactly like getting pregnant at 18 but it gave me Evie and she was the reason why I wanted to live. She is my motivation, the reason why I wanted to make it in life, to take care of her.
“How can you say that?” I asked crying
“Nobody wants me.” she was sobbing now and I hugged her stroking her hair.
“I want you, Evie. You’re my daughter and I love you. I’m sorry if I’ve made you think that I don’t, I’d make it up to you.”
“Then tell me who my father is,” she asked looking at me.
” Evie… I… I.. ”
“Do you even know who he is?” Oh. My. Goodness
“Of course I do. It’s just… ”
“He doesn’t want me.” she completed crying.
“Don’t say that.” I patted her. What was I supposed to tell her? I don’t want her to know who her father is yet. It’s not like I could tell her your father would fight for you if he knew about you and then she’d hate me for not telling her about her father and not telling her father about her.
“I just want you to stay with me.” she cried.
“I’m always going to be here Evie, always. ” I said hugging her as we cried.
“You wouldn’t leave me as daddy did? ”
It was times like this I felt guilty, I felt bad for not telling her father about her. It wasn’t that he left, he never knew but I couldn’t tell her that.
“I wouldn’t. I promise.” I said and the tears flowed quicker. I’m such a bad mom.
“Thank you,” she said wiping her tears.
Kel walked in and my heart nearly came out from my ribcage. Did he hear that?
“Hey, are you alright? ” he asked sitting on the bed
I sighed in relief, he didn’t hear anything, he still doesn’t know but for how long?
“What happened, why are you crying? ” What was I supposed to say? My daughter feels like I’m not spending enough time with her and she wants to know her father?
“Come on talk to me. ” he sounded worried?
“There’s no problem, everything is fine.” for now
“Then why are both of you crying? ”
“Nothing.” he should drop it already.
“Evie, what’s wrong? ” he asked.
Oh boy, what’s his deal with us crying.
“It’s nothing Kel drop it already,” I said before Evie said anything.
“You shouldn’t be crying, most especially when you’re sick,” he warned.
“Why didn’t you just be a doctor instead? You’d be good at it. ” I angrily snapped and he sighed. Seriously him pretending to care was sickening.
“You wouldn’t be able to come to work. In as much as I’d love to stay with you. I have things to do.” I didn’t even bother arguing, he was getting out of my face and I could spend the day with Evie.
“I’d send a nurse to take care of you. Get well soon babe,” he said kissing my forehead.
I rolled my eyes after he did that, who’s he trying to fool about being affectionate?
“Have a nice day Evie,” he said kissing her cheeks. Why is he being affectionate?
As soon as he left we started planning where we’d go.
“I’m going to get ready, where do you want us to go to? ” I asked excitedly
“To the park, the zoo anywhere. I just want to spend time with you.” it just made me feel like I was neglecting her.
“I want to spend time with you too. ” I said hugging her.
A nurse came in later ushered by the nanny. “I’m Rhoda and I’m your nurse. Mr Adrios instructed me to take care of you and make sure you don’t leave the house.”
What is wrong with him for God’s sake. I’m fine already.
“I’m better now. I have to go somewhere.”
“I’m sorry ma’am but you are not to,” she said and I sneezed. Stupid Adrios, stupid sickness.
“It’s fine, you can leave.”
“You’d have to take your medicines.”
“I already did,” I said rather rudely.
He just ruined the day for Evie and me.
“You’re not okay yet, maybe we should go some other time.”
“I guess. I’m sorry we can’t go out today, we’d go anywhere you want on Saturday.”
“Okay.”
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t do some things today,” I said smiling and she smirked.
We spent the day together. She spent time colouring, watching cartoons, I read her a story, we played dress-up it was just like old times. I felt like I was neglecting her because of work. I guess I’d have to quit soon. She was my priority nothing else. And no one else.
“I thought I told you to rest West.” I didn’t even know when he came in, I was setting the table for dinner.
“I did and besides I’m fine now.” he walked closer to me and placed his hand on my forehead.
“If you say so. Where’s Evie?” he asked and she walked in.
“Hi Evie, how was your day?” she just frowned at him ignoring him.
“Evie.” I persuaded her to answer.
“It was fine even though you didn’t allow us to go out.” so that was what she was mad about.
“Shayan is sick Evie, she needed to rest.” he tried explaining.
“Don’t talk to me,” she said going upstairs.
“Evie come back here,” I called but she ignored me too.
“What’s wrong with her? ” Kel asked and I sighed sitting on the chair.
“She thinks I don’t have time for, even thinks I love you more than her,” I said and he just laughed.
“If only she knows. You guys should spend time together then. We could all go out on Saturday, picnic, zoo, park, anywhere a child would like to go and have fun with other kids. She must be bored of staying with adults. ”
Kel just suggested that? I was speechless. Since when did he become like this?
“You don’t like the idea?”
“I do. Thanks. ”
“Saturday it is then, we have a charity event to attend the Saturday after that too.
“Okay,” I replied and a part of me kept on nagging me to thank him for taking care of me, I felt guilty earlier, all he wanted was to take care of me, I shouldn’t have been a bish about it.
“Uhm… ” how do I start?
“Do you want anything West?” he asked raising his eyebrows
“No. I just want to thank you for taking care of me when I was sick and all.” I said and a small smile appeared on his face as if that was what he wanted to hear.
And then he said something I never expected to hear. “You’re my wife, in sickness and in health. I was merely performing my duty. ” I was speechless for the second time that night, was he being serious or…