Belated Repentance
coincided with
teenth year since I fir
rs ago, when a young boy stumbled toward
changed, and so
ssing the moment when Jeff
e, as if I had exhausted all
.
pathetic gaze pi
l, I tossed the crumpled t
e cold wind, mixed with snowflakes, brushed against my f
winter cam
from my coat pocket, dialing a number I knew by heart. After
and o
one ans
ers turning blue and numb, like a f
uz
ed, and I quick
st a noti
backer behind the po
but against my better ju
sionately, had striking features and exuded desire. Especially fro
fect match
n wasn't my hus
erhaps one moment he was sending me a goodnight message, and
quickly
it, and now I didn't even have the
.
casually turned on t
this house was paid by Jeffrey and I with our first ea
house when we had more money. But when we did have money,
t terrifyin
went to the kitchen to pour a cup of hot
e beef stew on
the fridge, there was filling I had prepa
e ingredients, while my mind dri
ad just moved here. Back then, we had to stretch every
m a second-hand market. We made the beef stew, and ate it
ted like home. But we were both orphans, so where was
hat small table. After all, sometim
was done and
f work soon. I rushed to put the finished beef stew in an insulated
promised to spend every Christmas Eve with
to, r
side the insulated container slowly dissipate, w
still didn't
at the door, no mes
, I kept reassuring mysel
come back in th
.
ong, di
istently, and I hurri
young man supporting Jeffrey said helplessly, "Mrs. Hug
aside to let him help
e bed, then turned to me and said, "Mr
, he left
dow to air it out. Remembering Jeffrey often suffered from headaches after
f vomiting reached my ears. I returned t
jamas and dragged him to the guest room
t no longer surprised me. At least I h
nd self-sacrifice for me. I had no job, no social life, a
sh back to the kitchen to serve the cooled re
ady the middle of the night. It wasn't until my sto
wave, taking the opportunity to throw Jeffre
to the machine, such a simple task became dishea
a conspicuous lipstick mar
It wasn't that I didn't care, but I was just too afraid to confro
nothing, saw nothing. Like many women in simila
e shirt into the washing machine, as if cle
path
.
ther sleep
uth to muffle the sound. The old house had poor s
ned habit. I would watch over his health, rem
alling me his personal care
had truly becom
rning, I go
e a pot of soup and warmed up the lef
of strong arms wrapped around me, and a
s hangover is
in my shoulder, drawing out his w
ut tilt my head, saying to him, "Jeffrey, stop fooling
kiss on my cheek before letting go an
lled up inside me, leaving me frozen until he r
his head, his freshly was
more like the fresh-faced college student
"Go dry your hair, it's wet, if you don't want
before smugly saying, "Darling, were you just staring at me
playfully at the end