Anna.
I arrived home.
I walked into Jeremy’s room and was greeted by the sight of him sprawled out on the floor, surrounded by his colorful toy cars. He seemed completely lost in his world, orchestrating a story only he knew. My heart filled with warmth, watching the pure innocence of my son immersed in his play.
“Whatcha doing there, champ?” I asked, moving to sit beside him on the soft carpet.
His blue eyes twinkled as they met mine. “Building a big city, Mom! Look!” He eagerly pointed to the intricate roads and paths he’d created, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Oh, I see,” I played along, picking up a toy bus. “Is there a place for this bus in your city?”
Jeremy nodded enthusiastically, taking the bus from me and placing it on one of the roads. “Right here, next to the school!”
I leaned over, pressing a soft kiss on his forehead. “I’m so proud of you, Jeremy,” I whispered, my heart swelling with indescribable love. Every moment with him was a reminder of the joys and challenges of motherhood, and I cherished them all.
My eyes darted around his make-believe city, appreciating the thought he’d put into each placement. “It looks like you’ve got quite a busy city here. Do you need help managing the traffic?”
His laughter filled the room, a sound so pure it made everything else fade away. “Yes! You can be the traffic controller, Mom!”
Together, we navigated the toy cars and buses through the city, making up stories as we went along. At times, there were dramatic races, and at others, simple trips to imaginary stores. As I engaged in this play, it became clear that these were more than just toys for Jeremy; they were tools for understanding the world around him.
“Mom?” Jeremy paused, his toy car still in hand, looking up at me with those deep eyes, so much like his father’s.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Do you love our little city?”
I wrapped my arm around him, pulling him close. “I love everything we create together, Jeremy. But more than anything, I love you.”
He hugged me back tightly, his small body warm against mine. “I love you more, Mom.”
I chuckled softly, ruffling his hair. “That’s quite impossible.”
***
“Nice uniform,” a familiar voice murmurs behind me. I don’t turn around and close my eyes.
Keep it together, Ann. Keep it together…
I still vividly recall that moment atop him, and I want to relive it. But I can’t. Self-control and self-love, Ann. Remember that.
“What are you doing here?” I turn, trying to shoot him an icy glare. He’s sporting dark circles under his eyes that look almost frightening, yet he’s still so attractiv…
“Don’t think like that, Anna.”
“Just taking a stroll and happened upon you out here. Thought to myself, why not pester her a bit?”
“Don’t you have a job? What are you doing in Seattle?”
“The second question is a bit naive of you, and…”
“So now I’m naive?” I snap. He rolls his eyes, bending down slightly so our faces are closer, making me even more edgy.
“I said your question was naive, not that you were. As for your first question, about work… yes, I do.”
“And you don’t have to actually show up to earn your paycheck?” He laughs, and I can’t help but feel my cheeks heat up.
“Not really.”
“What do you do?” I ask, genuinely puzzled. He’s definitely messing with me.
“I won’t tell you just yet,” he replies, blowing on my face, playfully pushing away a stray strand of hair that was obstructing my right eye.
“You know what? I’m not interested,” I retort with a touch of arrogance.
“You’ve changed a lot, Ann,” he observes, a serious note in his voice. It’s as if he’s looking at me and not recognizing me, and it stings.
“When someone crucial in your life lets you down, you learn to open your eyes and shield your heart.”
He remains silent. I can tell my words hurt him, but he doesn’t respond. He can’t. Because he knows that what he did to me is unforgivable.
Glancing at my wristwatch, I realize I’m running late. I start to walk off, not even wanting to turn back and see if he’s still there.
“I need to go. Goodbye, possibly forever,” I shout, hoping deep down that I won’t encounter him again.
“Anna,” he calls out softly. I want to keep walking, but curiosity gets the best of me.
“What?!”
“Your shirt’s misbuttoned.”
Looking down, I notice two buttons, meant to cover my bra and chest, are undone. What the HELL HAPPENED?
Embarrassed, I glare at Henry and hurriedly head to my workplace, attempting to secure those damned buttons.
Henry.
She left quickly, cursing under her breath. Seeing her white bra and a bit of her breast, I get rock hard. I’m sure her tits have gotten bigger, and I’m having a hard time not going up to her and kissing her like I did yesterday.
Snapping out of the trance that the sight of her perfect breasts had thrown me into, I raced after her. She was so livid she didn’t even notice my presence behind her.
“Who does he think he is…?” She was muttering, trying to smooth out her shirt with her hands.
I chuckled and grabbed her wrist, turning her around to face me. Startled, she stumbled into me but shoved me away immediately.
Keeping my cool, I hid the sting her rejection sent through my heart. I pulled out the slip of paper from my pocket and handed it to her.
“What’s this?” She asked immediately, her brows furrowing as she shifted her gaze between the paper and me.
“It’s my cell number, just in case.”
“I don’t want it.”
“You’re keeping it. And I swear to God, if you throw it away, I’ll be shadowing you the entire damn day,” I threatened. She stared at me for a moment, eyes shooting daggers that pierced right through me.
I hate seeing her this cold towards me. I can’t stand that her eyes don’t light up around me anymore. The mere thought of her not loving me anymore is unbearable.
She snatched the paper from my hand and shoved it into one of her pockets. Whirling around furiously, her steps echoed loudly as she moved towards the next street.
“No goodbye kiss?” I called out, half-joking, half-serious. It was just yesterday that our lips met, and I already miss the feel of hers against mine.
She turned around, and damn… why does she have to be so infuriatingly beautiful?