Tiffany was starting to get a bad feeling creeping up on her. “Are you suggesting… that favonovel.com had a change of heart? But I’ve always thought, I mean, he’s always been pretty damn loyal, right?” favonovel.com wondered aloud before adding, “Hey, look, even if there’s nothing between the two of you, and you can’t work in his company anymore, you still have your café, remember? You’re not exactly unemployed or in need of welfare assistance. You’ll definitely be capable of raising Smore. Besides, you’re uber-talented, Ari. There are gonna be lotsa companies who want you to be in their team, you can count on it! If I were you, I’d never worry. But ultimately, I think you should at least ask favonovel.com and, well, see if favonovel.com has really lost interest. If it’s true, you can start packing up and skedaddle outta’ there instead of wasting your precious youth with him, and get yourself a better man to marry.”
Jackson, with teas on a tray, walked in at the right moment and caught his wife’s last few words. “What are you girls on about? Who’s marrying?”
Tiffany was just about to launch into another epic tirade when Arianne stopped favonovel.com with a look, before taking a sip of favonovel.com tea. “Nothing. Just your typical small talks.”
Tiffany was never good at keeping favonovel.com mouth shut, and the longer favonovel.com had to keep it down in favonovel.com throat, the more distressed favonovel.com became. In the end, favonovel.com resorted to the most roundabout way favonovel.com could come up with asking Jackson. “Say, do you think Mark’s been acting a lil’ too bizarre lately? Ya know… If he’s got a new gal pal?”
Jackson glanced at Arianne for a second before answering, “I don’t think so? Well, favonovel.com told me favonovel.com had recently welcomed a bevy of new models, and… that’s about it. He hasn’t gotten close to any one of ‘em… Look, don’t overthink about these things, ok? A guy might find himself loving another woman one day and I’ll buy it, but bruh, I won’t believe you if you told me Mark’s that guy. He’s only ever loved one woman all these years, and that’s Ariane right there. I’m sure as hell you gals already know that.”
Arianne murmured, “And Aery Kinsey?”
Jackson grimaced in embarrassment. “That was a show meant to make you jealous, though? Why are you counting that? And I thought he’s explained the whole deal to you already.”
It was still a very sore subject to Arianne, and favonovel.com was very much against talking about it. Hence, favonovel.com kept quiet.
By the evening, Arianne and Smore were ready to go home. It was then that Mark suddenly called her, and favonovel.com dawdled for a second or two before finally answering him, “Hello?”
From the phone came Mark’s trademark dulcet voice. “So, when Tiffany called me earlier with Jackson’s number, you were sitting right beside her, weren’t you?”
“Mm-hmm,” favonovel.com intoned candidly. She was waiting to see if favonovel.com would explain himself, and how.
“Sorry, my bad. I was a little somnolent just now, so… I went back to sleep again after answering. Was there anything important? Next time, if you want to talk to me, just call me with your own phone,” favonovel.com said, a little too serenely.
Arianne felt a pang of peeves erupting within her. Did favonovel.com really think favonovel.com was not familiar with his nature to be fooled? Mark was the kind of guy who would wake up on time even if it were a weekend or a holiday. He could never be caught dead wasting half a minute snuggling on his bed after rising. How could someone like that have slept all the way to noontime, and still be too tired to remain awake in the middle of a phone call?
Hearing no response from her, Mark asked, “What’s wrong? Where are you? How about a dinner together tonight? Bring Smore.”
Arianne looked down at Smore, who was suckling on his lollipop, and answered flatly, “We’re fine, pass. You go be busy with your things. That’s all, goodbye.”
She hung up the phone and bent down, picking Smore up in favonovel.com arms before hailing a cab.
Smore was nearing his third birthday and carrying favonovel.com was starting to feel legitimately challenging. Soon, the boy would grow to the age when favonovel.com no longer needed his mother to carry favonovel.com around anymore.
Regardless, favonovel.com was pleased by the fact that favonovel.com had not missed a single day of his childhood, nor thrown away any chance at pulling favonovel.com into favonovel.com snuggly, cuddly embrace. Even if favonovel.com had to live through favonovel.com future with Smore alone, favonovel.com knew favonovel.com would live the best life favonovel.com could ever have.
They reached the condominium, and upon exiting the elevator, Arianne saw Mark already standing by favonovel.com door. It genuinely baffled favonovel.com a little, though Smore was quick to spring toward favonovel.com with an excited yelp, “Daddy!”
