Thelma: “…”
In a dim environment, a person’s senses are sharper than during the day. The scent on him, the warm feeling of him pressed against her back, and the sound of his breathing all felt so clear to her, especially the warm breath brushing against her ear, sending a tingling sensation through her as if she had been electrocuted.
She stiffened her body, hardly daring to move.
She had never expected him to hug her; they had always treated each other with respect before.
She was completely unprepared for this, as she usually felt flustered enough just facing him.
So, what should she do now?
She felt her heart pounding like a drum, and after a long while of her body being rigid, she finally found her voice, stammering, “I… I need to get some water.”
It was a random excuse, just a way to quickly soothe her overwhelming sense of awkwardness.
He was silent for a moment before releasing her, and then with a click, the lights turned on brightly.
Unlike her, who was stiff and at a loss, he appeared calm, rolling off the bed and saying to her, “I’ll get you some.”
He had been gone for quite a while, and she still couldn’t shake off the tension. It felt as if his breath and warmth lingered beside her, enveloping her like an invisible net.
Leaning against the headboard, she tried to calm her racing heart. She glanced over and saw that Tyler had been moved to the other side; he was sleeping soundly, but he lay alone at the edge of the bed, covered by a single blanket, looking a bit pitiful.
He returned shortly, placing the cup of water on the bedside table, then sitting down beside her, a little too close for comfort.
She picked up the cup, thanked him, and gulped down the water, not daring to look at him even once.
“Are you afraid of me?”
Thelma didn’t look at him and shook her head.
“You were having a nightmare just now, and I was worried you might scare the child, so I hugged you. It would be better that way.”
So that was it.
“Was I too presumptuous?” He spoke with an apologetic tone, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice, revealing his pleasant mood.
“No,” Thelma replied softly.
He didn’t say anything more, moving to the other side of the bed to shift Tyler a little closer to the center, so that Tyler could share a blanket with her. He pulled another blanket over himself and said to her, “Go to sleep, good night.”
Thelma lay down on the bed, and he turned off the light. Soon, the surroundings fell back into darkness.
The tension lingered for a long time, but when Thelma hugged Tyler, she finally felt a bit better, and before she knew it, she fell asleep.
When Thelma woke up, Noah and Tyler were still asleep. She was still lying next to Tyler, while Noah was just a little distance away.
He lay quietly on the bed, eyes closed. Unlike the invisible dominance he usually exuded, he appeared very peaceful while asleep. Tyler lay beside him, sprawled out, and when she looked over, she saw him kick the blanket off, his chubby little hand scratching his belly.
So cute.
Thelma was filled with a sense of satisfaction, inexplicably happy. She went over to cover the baby with the blanket and kissed his little face. When she looked up at the handsome man sleeping beside her, she thought of the hug from last night, her cheeks flushed, and she hurriedly left the room.
By the time the father and son came downstairs, Thelma had already prepared breakfast. When Noah saw her busy at the dining table, he paused for a moment, standing still for several seconds before coming to his senses, then naturally greeted her, “Good morning.”
Thelma felt a bit shy seeing him after last night’s hug, but seeing him so naturally, she responded just as naturally, “Good morning.”
Tyler was very happy, looking at the sumptuous breakfast with sparkling eyes, “Did Mom make all this?”
Thelma nodded, and the little guy quickly cut a piece of fried egg to eat. After finishing, he immediately gave her a thumbs up, “So delicious, Mom is amazing.”
Thelma felt quite happy to be praised by her son. She looked at Noah, who was already sitting at the table eating bread. Thelma tentatively asked, “Is it to your taste?”
“Mm, delicious.” His tone carried a hint of praise.
Thelma breathed a sigh of relief.
After finishing the meal, the father and son went out. Thelma worked on a draft in her workspace for a while. When she went downstairs to get some water, she saw Noah sitting in the living room, looking over some documents.
Thelma couldn’t help but ask in surprise, “Aren’t you going to the company?”
He looked up at her and casually replied, “There’s nothing going on at the company, so I came back.”
“…”
Nothing going on at the company? Thelma recalled hearing from Noah’s mother about the incident at the distillery, and the way he had been so imposing when she went to pick him up from the company. It certainly didn’t seem like there was anything going on.
However, Thelma didn’t ask further. She inadvertently glanced at the documents he was holding and saw several legal documents that looked like they had been drafted by a lawyer. Suddenly, she remembered something and asked, “Do you remember Alan?”
“Mm.”
“Did you help with Alan’s arrest back then?”
“Not really helping, just sent an email to a prosecutor I know.”
It seemed her guess back then was correct; the benefactor who had helped her was indeed him. At that time, she had found it puzzling why a stranger would help her so much, but now she understood.
They were not strangers; he was her husband.
“Thank you.”
“Mm?” He chuckled and said, “How do you plan to thank me?”
Thelma: “…”
How to thank him? Thelma thought for a moment and said, “How about I treat you to a meal when you have time?”
“I have time now.”
