Chapter 2

One Friday afternoon, Bella came home from preschool. She held up a drawing to me before she could even put down her backpack.

"My teacher said we're going to have a craft project! The theme is 'My Family'!"

She had drawn Alfred tall, holding her hand, and even glued a little sun beside him.

"Do you think Daddy will like it?"

"I'm sure he will."

She couldn't fall asleep that night. Every time she heard the elevator chime, she ran to the front door to check, but the people who arrived were not the ones she was waiting for.

When Alfred finally came home, he said, "Oh, you're still awake, Bella. Daryl is in a bad mood today, so I brought him over to borrow some comic books. We'll leave in a minute."

Bella nodded and stepped aside, while Daryl raised his brows and intentionally held the drawing up high. "Mr. Manning took me to the arcade today, and he said he'll take me go-kart racing next time. Have you ever been there?"

Bella's hands dropped to her sides. "No."

"Well, I guess your dad doesn't love you that much either!"

Standing at the doorway, I heard every word and noticed Bella's eyes turning red-rimmed as she bit her lip tightly.

Alfred gently comforted her, saying, "Just because I praise Daryl doesn't mean I don't love you, Bella. Love can be shared among many people."

I walked over and took the drawing from his hand. "Come with me, Bella."

The moment the bedroom door clicked shut, Bella couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "Mommy, am I not allowed to ask Daddy to spend time with me?"

"Of course not," I said, pulling her into my arms.

"But when Daddy spends time with other people, I feel sad, which makes me a bad girl… So, I won't say it anymore."

Her thoughtfulness and understanding seemed to crush my heart and rattle me. I knew that children buried pain deep within their bodies, and I couldn't let that happen.

…

One morning, Alfred tagged along to the hospital for a follow-up on my back injury. Our turn was just called when his phone rang.

"I just saw his aunt outside the community gates, Alfred! She kept staring at me, and I'm terrified to go home. Daryl is so scared that he's crying, too…"

The call ended as my number flashed on the screen.

"I'll be back very soon, honey," Alfred said. "Your condition isn't an emergency, but if Edna gets triggered, it might even cost her her life!"

The nurse standing at the door of the doctor's office called my name as he hurried away.

After completing all the tests, I sat in the hallway waiting for my report. The morning crowd gradually thinned out, replaced by groups of new patients.

A pregnant woman sat down, resting her hands on her lower back while her husband dashed off to buy her a drink. An elderly man struggled to stand steadily, while his daughter half-knelt to tie his shoelaces.

It felt as though everyone but Alfred had an innate instinct to protect and care for the people they loved.

It was past 3:00 pm when he finally returned, holding a warm drink.

"I got you some warm spiced cider! I'm sorry. Edna was really terrified. Her ex-husband's relatives tried to mess with her, so I had to deal with it."

I looked down at the medical report, where the doctor had written clear advice. "Avoid prolonged standing and heavy lifting. Schedule regular follow-up visits."

But to Alfred, my pain was significant. It could always wait.

…

When we got home, Bella was in the living room practicing her writing.

"Did you see the doctor, Mommy? Did Daddy stay with you?" she asked carefully while I adjusted her crooked hair clip.

"He stayed for a little while."

She studied my face, as if trying to decide whether I was lying, then pressed her lips together and dropped the subject.

After Alfred stepped out of the shower, he found me sitting in front of the laptop. The screen displayed information about Bella's school.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Are you still working, honey?"

"Yeah," I said, closing the browser tab.

He chuckled, and his voice turned slightly placating as he continued, "Thanks for your hard work, honey. I don't know what we'd do without you keeping the family running."

I used to fall for that. A few sweet words were all it took to make me swallow the hurt I felt all night.

He kissed my cheek. "Don't work too hard. I'll take you and Bella out for dinner tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

He was briefly stunned. "Of course I am."

I didn't say anything else because I was done betting Bella's hopes on his "of course".

After he fell asleep, I turned on my laptop again. The screen showed a template for a divorce agreement.

Soft footsteps came from outside the bedroom door. When I turned around, I saw Bella standing there, holding her stuffed toy.

"I can't sleep, Mommy."

She walked over and climbed into my arms. "From now on, can I just draw the two of us when I draw my family?"

It felt like something gently pricked my heart.

Looking at the tear stains still clinging to her eyelashes, I belatedly realized that some decisions didn't have to be earth-shattering. Sometimes, they happened on a random midnight, when Bella asked if she could erase her father from a drawing.

I realized I could no longer say no.