Chapter 59: The Way We Were

Even after going to the capital, Judith was hesitating to go home. She was unaware of what her absence had resulted to. Currently, she was standing outside the Blackwood family home, moving to and fro. After a few minutes, she made up her mind, carrying her purse, she went inside. When she arrived home, her husband had not returned, she was both tensed and relaxed. She made dinner, hoping to appease him, unknown to her he had forgotten her fault. He just wanted her to return home but since she turned off her phone, he could not tell her.

Not long after she prepared dinner, he arrived home. He wasn't aware of her arrival, besides Hallie had brought over some food for him so rather than go to the dinning as usual, he simply went upstairs to his room. While Judith was waiting for his return, he had slept of. The maids who knew of his return, acted like they didn't. They were too afraid to pick a side especially when they head the conversation between the mother and son. So they knew she would soon be out of the house but they did not try to oppose her either, they simply remained quiet. Judith was too full of herself to realise this. She waited until 11PM, after which she retired to the bedroom, only to see him asleep. She was mad but she couldn't vent her anger on him, she only laid beside him. The next morning, when she woke up, he was already gone, he left no message for her, like he wasn't there. The house was indeed empty, no husband, no son, only her. She felt like she had been abandoned but she couldn't do anything to change it. Her husband simply didn't want to disturb her peaceful sleep or so he told himself...

...

Christmas had finally arrived but the relationship between Carl and Kim was estranged. He felt like he took a step forward unlike to take three back. He didn't know how to address the issue anymore, he knew if this went on, they would only grow further apart. She no longer laughed or talk to him except necessary and she was the chatty one. Entering a gift shop, he planned to get her a present in hopes of mending their relationship. After searching for a while, he settled for a polariod camera and a photo album.

"Hey..." He greeted, with an unsure voice as he arrived home. She only nodded in acknowledgement. "I got you something for Christmas." He said handing her the bag. Rather than open it she kept it on the table. Fews seconds went by, there was only silence. "Aren't you going to open it?" He questioned. "Not now." She replied, in a bored tone. Her attitude annoyed him but he kept it inside, "I'm really sorry for trying to stop you from working. Can we go back to the way we were?" His voice, pleading. "The way we were?" She asked, raising her brows. "How exactly were we?" Her tone, her words, her actions hurt him, still he endured it.

"I..." He couldn't answer that question, were they "siblings"? Or roommates? Friends, perhaps? He didn't want to fight with her but it was hard to ignore her actions, it was hard to endure it all. "What can I do.. what should I do?" He asked. From sitting, she laid down on the couch like he wasn't talking to her, like she couldn't be bothered by his presence. His heart ached, swallowing the pain that was suffocating him, he turned around leaving the house. She made him feel like an eyesore, something she didn't wish to see. He did not want to see the eyes that looked at him with indifference. At the same time, he couldn't help but think if she was doing all that because he asked her not to go to work. It was not enough to act this way. He couldn't justify her actions, rather than make excuses for her, he left.

As for Kim, hurting him, watching him leave, felt surreal. But she did nothing to stop him. It was like she couldn't control what she said and how she reacted and she wasn't willing to chase after him. She laid there staring blankly, into the dead of the night. She recounted everything that happened between them, she knew she reacted wrongly.. but she could not take it back.

He roamed the city without a destination in mind for hours. He didn't know he spent so long driving around. At exactly 12AM, he returned home, she was still awake but she pretended to be asleep. He thought of sending her to the bed but a thought occurred to him, 'What if she doesn't want me to touch her?' He didn't want to know either so he changed, took a blanket and laid on the cold floor.

Silence, they laid in silence, unaware they were both awake, she didn't try to turn, so he didn't know she was watching him. As time passed, he fell asleep listening to the sound of the clock tick.