For many women, irregular menstrual cycles are common; Aurora had never paid it much mind.
Julian’s eyes twinkled, “That’s right, weakness manifests in these ways. Be good and drink it.”
“Julian, will my periods become regular if I drink this?” Aurora blinked her eyes; although each period brought with it cold hands and feet, along with cramps, she was not one to fuss and had grown accustomed to it. Since Julian wanted to help her manage it this time, she couldn’t waste his kindness.
“Hmm, those pills aren’t that fast-acting; it might take a long time before they start working.”
“This is so hard to drink. How long must I keep taking it?” Aurora frowned. Once or twice was bearable, but from what Julian implied, it seemed she needed to continue for much longer.
“How long depends on your body’s condition. I obviously don’t want you to drink something so unpleasant. But it’s good for you, and once your body improves, you can stop.”
Even Robert couldn’t say for sure, so how could Julian be certain how long she would need to drink it?
“Alright then.” Aurora gulped down the bitter concoction in one go; such bitterness had to be swallowed quickly, for if she stopped halfway, the pervasive bitterness would dissuade her from continuing.
Julian noticed her furrowed brow and felt a pang of pity for her body and the pain she had to endure at such a young age.
“I’m done,” Aurora obediently showed Julian her empty cup.
Julian rubbed her head, “A reward for you, have a candy.” He had prepared the candy that morning after seeing her distressed face while drinking.
The sweetness of the candy quickly spread in her mouth, dispelling the bitterness. Aurora squinted her eyes sweetly, “When did you buy this?”
“When you dropped Asher off, I bought it at the airport, so this tea wouldn’t taste so bitter.” He was always so thoughtful and considerate.
Aurora clutched his hand tightly, “Julian, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“How so?”
“You must be treating me so well on purpose, making me dependent on you, like breathing, without which I’d die. Are you doing it deliberately?” Aurora stared at him accusingly.
Julian chuckled, initially he just felt that Aurora had suffered a lot, and he ought to cherish and pamper her, also as a way to make up for the hardships she had endured in the past.
“Yes, I am doing it on purpose. With so many people who like you, if I didn’t treat you well, wouldn’t you leave me?”
This time Asher had flown back directly for her. If something had happened between him and Aurora, Asher would likely be the first one not to let him off.
After this incident, Julian cherished and loved Aurora even more. She was someone he could never let go of.
Hayden, Asher, and another named Eric-these men from different times in her life each meant something different to her.
“Then you have to treat me well for a lifetime. Without you, I would feel very uncomfortable,” Aurora whispered.
“Okay, let’s watch a movie together. What do you want to watch?”
“Anything is fine.” As long as she could be with him, it really didn’t matter what they watched.
Julian chose a comedy, and Aurora cuddled into his embrace, shedding her usual strong-women appearance of the outside world. The funny plot made Aurora laugh heartily; the movie’s couple had an adorable child that Aurora grew more fond of as the film progressed.
“Julian, look how cute that child is. If our kids were that cute, I’d wake up laughing from my dreams,” Aurora pointed at the child on the screen.
“Silly Aurora, you’re still a child yourself. Thinking about having children at such a young age?” Julian’s eyes clouded over with a trace of melancholy.
Aurora found it odd, as Julian had always seemed to adore children. He’d even warned her several times against using contraception, expressing a desire for children whenever they went shopping together. Passing by baby stores, he would linger, dreaming aloud about creating a fairy-tale room for their future child, ensuring their happiness and sparing them the hardships they had known as children.
Back then, Julian had spoken with such animation, and Aurora, blushing, felt embarrassed. It was surprising how quickly his tune had changed in just a short while.
“Eh, didn’t you really want us to have children before? Why do you think I’m too young now?” Aurora asked.
“I didn’t think it through before. After accidentally seeing a video about pregnancy and childbirth, I realized how much suffering being a mother involves. I can’t bear to see you in pain, so let’s not rush into thinking about children,” Julian made an excuse.
“Is that so? I used to think I still had many things to do, that I was too young to have children. But after being with you, my feelings for you have deepened. If it’s with you, I’d be willing to give up some of my work to have a lovely child with you, just as you said before. We would take good care of them.”
Aurora’s eyes brimmed with anticipation. “Look how adorable this child is, with those sparkling big eyes and chubby lips. Our children will be just as cute, won’t they, Julian?”
“Mm, yes,” Julian murmured. “They definitely will be.”
Lost in her daydreams, Aurora hadn’t yet noticed that Julian’s mood had darkened considerably.
“Maybe there’s already a cute little life inside here,” she mused, glancing down at her flat belly. Considering their frequency, it seemed quite likely they could have a child. She recalled her college days when many students, despite taking precautions, ended up pregnant.
Pregnancy seemed such a simple thing to her, and she figured it would be easy for her too.
Seeing her so hopeful, Julian suddenly turned off the movie. Aurora looked up, puzzled. “Julian, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing much, I just remembered some unfinished work. I’ll head to the study.”
“Oh.” Watching Julian leave, Aurora felt something was amiss. He had something on his mind, yet the movie wasn’t even finished.
She didn’t see Julian’s clenched fists or his reddened eyes as he shut the door behind him.