Nancy leaned her back against the room door, shut her eyes, and bit her lips as she realized that her words were hurtful. She knew that he meant no harm and was concerned about her.
It felt like there was a shift in the relationship.
Both of them mulled over their worries in separate rooms for the whole night—perfectly depicting the situation of their relationship. It was a night filled with troubles, and both of them could only look out at the stars through the window.
“Nancy! Nancy!”
That was the fourth time Joan called out to Nancy, so she waved in front of Nancy’s face.
“Huh? Joan, what did you say?” Nancy asked as she regained her senses.
Joan stirred her coffee and chuckled. “I didn’t say much. On the other hand, you seemed to be troubled. Did you rest well?”
Nancy shook her head while smiling. “I’m fine. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Oh no. A good night’s sleep is so important. Are you really okay?” Joan exclaimed while she opened a packet of sugar for Nancy.
Nancy took over the packet of sugar and poured it into her cup. “Thank you, Joan. I’m fine, really.”
Joan poked her mischievously and probed, “Hey, no need to keep a secret from me, okay?”
Nancy slowly took a sip of her coffee and asked, “Joan, if you were to injure yourself, who would be the first to help you up?”
“Larry, of course,” Joan replied instantly.
Nancy’s hand quivered slightly, which caused the teaspoon to knock against the wall of the cup and produced a light clinking sound.
“What if you fell, but you quarreled with Larry? Would you feel repulsed if he were to help you?” Nancy’s eyes widened in anticipation of Joan’s reply.
Joan looked into a distance and bit her lips. “Of course not! If he were to help me up, I would feel that he was trying to make up for the quarrel. It’s not usual to catch Larry yielding into others.”
Nancy’s mind was in a complete mess as she did not feel the way that Joan had described. Instead, she felt disgusted and belligerent.
Joan sensed that something was off with Nancy and asked cautiously, “What happened? Why are you suddenly asking such questions? Did you quarrel with Caspian?”
Joan guessed as she found it unusual that Nancy was spacing out and asking such questions.
Even though Nancy denied it, it seemed like she was actually admitting to it. Joan did not react to the denial and advised, “There are bound to be conflicts in every relationship. It would be boring if a relationship were to be conflict-free. The most important part is for the both of you to be able to reach a compromise.”
“Should we be compatible to be together?” Nancy questioned.
Joan smiled and nodded in agreement. “If you were incompatible, how did the both of you end up together? What I meant was to compromise on the differences on the basis that both of you are generally compatible.”
Nancy smiled sheepishly at Joan’s advice, as she already knew. She decided to stop asking such questions and continued sipping her coffee to hide her anxiety.
“I asked for both of you to wait for me, but y’all already finished your coffee?” Larry exclaimed as he held a pretty plate with a toasted sandwich.
