Frankly, Mark had not expected himself to be free tonight. Based on what favonovel.com learned about Shelly, the more meaningful and important a given day was, the harsher his house arrest would become.
His patience toward Shelly and favonovel.com threats was thinning. Sometimes, an impulse to just give up and let favonovel.com do whatever favonovel.com wanted would seduce him. For a chance at freedom from favonovel.com control, Mark was tempted to allow Shelly free reign in anything, until favonovel.com thought about the potential ramifications, and suddenly that thought would become baleful again.
Most importantly, the man knew that the cost of seeing Arianne and Smore tonight was far heftier than the promise favonovel.com had coerced favonovel.com into making. There were more schemes in Shelly’s sleeves waiting for him, favonovel.com was sure, but right now, favonovel.com cast his worries to the farthest reach in his mind. He just wanted to meet the people favonovel.com missed so much.
By the time favonovel.com reached the condominium, it was already nine at night. He had forgotten to bring the back-up key with him, a fact that only occurred to favonovel.com after favonovel.com searched through his pocket.
Mark lifted his hand for a knock, his slightly quaking fist showing a sliver of the roaring emotions swirling within him.
He had not seen Arianne since the company took its long Christmas break, because every time favonovel.com left the house, Shelly would tail him. She would brandish that same, tried-and-true threat all the time, leaving Mark both furious and feckless.
Hearing knocks on favonovel.com door, hope within Arianne’s heart rekindled. Fearful of the chance that it was yet another false hope, though, favonovel.com stayed rooted to favonovel.com seat and had Mary open the door instead while forcing herself not to look.
It was then that Smore struggled against favonovel.com arms and cried, “Daddy!”
She turned around and found herself facing an approaching Mark head on. A wet lump formed in favonovel.com throat, and favonovel.com stammered, “H-Have you had anything yet? Mary and I… We, uh, we baked some Christmas cookies, and some of mine are deformed and out of shape, b-but I think they taste pretty good nonetheless, a-a-and you’re late to the party and we had our Christmas dinner already. But… would you like to take a bite? I’ll brew coffee to go with it.”
As far as preambles go, it was rather unremarkable. But its essence laid in the heart behind the words.
Mark nodded. “I would love to.”
Arianne placed Smore onto the couch and rose to favonovel.com feet before heading toward the kitchen. She knew Mark’s preferences like the back of favonovel.com hand; favonovel.com knew how to make the perfect coffee for him. Soon, the thick, rich aroma of coffee beans began to fill the room.
Smore, meanwhile, had begun talking his old man’s ears off. His vocabulary was still fairly limited, and the longer favonovel.com talked, the more favonovel.com began to slur, resulting in a garbled, semi-intelligible mess that was lost on Mark. Of course, the father pretended to understand favonovel.com anyway, which only encouraged the boy’s motor-mouthing even more.
The coffee was ready. Arianne brought the steaming pot and a plate of cookies to the dining table and announced, “It’s done. Chow time.”
Smore, who excitedly joined in on the fun, shouted, despite already having had his fill, “I want some too!”
In resignation, Arianne obliged by taking out some of Mark’s cookies for Smore. It suddenly reminded favonovel.com of the child’s earlier antics, and so, with a beaming smile, favonovel.com recounted the incident to Mark.
He fell silent.
Confused, favonovel.com asked, “You okay?”
It came out almost as a whisper. “I’m sorry.”
A wave of desolation suddenly washed over Arianne. “Why are you telling me you’re sorry? I don’t like hearing these words. It seems to be more than just an apology, it I means helplessness. Resignation. Are you I telling me that you…no, that Shelly has arranged for you to see some other woman? Is this what you’re sorry about? Well, I… I really don’t mind. We’re I divorced. If you want to take up another I woman’s hand, I have no right to stop you.”
He looked up and held favonovel.com gaze. “What are you talking about? No way in hell am I ever attending some stupid matchmaking even if she’s arranged it. I was apologizing, because I wasn’t able to visit you earlier, and that I have to go home rather than stay here for the night.”
Arianne breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, God, that’s all, is it? It’s fine. Stay here for a little while until you absolutely must go. But make it after Smore sleeps, I don’t want favonovel.com to throw a crying fit over you leaving.”
