Yvonne heard that Jared had no sympathy for her. She pouted, hung up right away, and went back to pulling weeds. Then, just to get my attention, she yanked up a little flower right in front of me.

I quickly reached for a small black twig nearby. Yvonne hesitated for a moment, then dug a tiny hole and carefully replanted the flower, her big eyes looking at me, all aggrieved.

After about ten minutes, Yvonne finally cleared out the little flower bed. She ran over excitedly and said, “Mom, look how awesome I am. I really did it.”

“Wash your hands, go upstairs, shower, and eat.” I didn’t go on and on encouraging her like I used to, or kiss her little face and tell her how great she was. Now, I just gave her orders.

“Okay.” Yvonne went upstairs. She showered by herself now, and I also made her wash her underwear. She actually did it, too.

I didn’t eat much for dinner. After a short break, I started doing yoga. Yvonne played with my yoga ball nearby, sometimes trying to copy my moves.

“Wow, Mom, can you really get your leg up that high?” Yvonne asked, her face full of amazement.

I had been dancing for over ten years, so my basic moves were always spot on. It was the first time Yvonne had seen me move with such strength, and she was totally mesmerized, just staring at me.

I found myself growing quieter around her, not bothering to explain so much anymore.

Around eleven, I put on my headphones and finished shadowing my Englysian textbook, then got ready for bed.

Then I heard a car engine cut off downstairs. My body tensed up. I quickly shut the door, turned off the lights, and got into bed.

Soon after, I heard footsteps, but they went to the guest room next door.

‘Jared must’ve had too much to drink tonight, and Tracy probably gave him all the emotional support he needed. There’s no way he’d come looking for me,’ I thought.

I didn’t expect anything anymore, so I slept soundly through the night.

When my heart was steady, everything just seemed to go smoother. I just hoped I could face whatever came my way with confidence from now on.

Morning came quietly.

It was one of those bright, early summer mornings that just put you in a good mood. The outfit I picked today was perfect for a side ponytail, so I wove a ribbon through my hair, giving myself a touch of playful charm.

Sunlight spilled in through the window, and the woman in the mirror almost looked ethereal.

That moment made me think back to the summer when I was eighteen, leaning on the windowsill, sketching and daydreaming, my mind completely at ease.

Sometimes I’d poke my head out just to watch the shadows of the trees dancing outside.

It had been a while since I visited my family. In the six years since I got married, I only ever went back for the holidays, always telling myself I was too busy.

I let out a soft sigh. Once Yvonne’s summer break started, maybe I would go stay at my parents’ place for a few days–no Yvonne, no Jared, just me and a heart full of nostalgia.

“I’ll ride with you to the office later,” Jared said quietly from behind me. I hadn’t even noticed him standing there, buttoning up his shirt.

Honestly, he was starting to get on my nerves.

He had a driver and a whole garage full of cars, but for some reason, he always wanted me to drive him.

But since I was living off him, I didn’t really have the right to complain. So I just said, “Sure.”

When I came downstairs, Yvonne was animatedly acting out how she fought with the weeds yesterday, waving her hands as she told Jared all about it.

Jared listened with a gentle smile, occasionally handing her a napkin to wipe the corner of her mouth.

As soon as she heard me coming down, Yvonne instantly stopped talking, took a big gulp of gruel, and her cheeks puffed out as she looked at me with a grumpy face.