She gingerly turned the key in the lock, and after a few audible clicks, the door opened. Her heart was still pounding in her heart, and she could hear the sound reverberate through her entire body.
As she was removing her shoes, she suddenly felt the presence of a suspicious dark shadow inching toward her. When it finally got near her, a bouquet of golden tulips was suddenly thrust in her face.
Nancy screamed in terror.
“Surprise!”
How is that a surprise? Is this guy trying to scare me to death? Despite being well-versed in Taekwondo, Nancy had been feeling so guilty and terrified that she couldn’t even react when Caspian jumped out to surprise her.
Caspian was still grinning like a Cheshire cat as he shoved the bouquet into her hands. “What’s the matter? Did I scare you? I only wanted to give you a surprise. I didn’t think I’d… “
“It’s ok. I understand,” she replied. The more subservient he was toward her, the more her heart weighed with guilt and anxiety. The beautiful tulips were such a stark contrast to her mood—their bright, golden color being even more dazzling than the sun.
Nancy smiled faintly and hugged Caspian. A hug could never make up for what she owed him, but that would have to do for then. Even though Caspian was taken aback by this unexpected behavior, he secretly praised himself for having made the right decision to buy Nancy flowers. After all, women were emotional creatures who needed to be coaxed and spoiled.
The more he thought of how clever he was, the more he beamed with pride. Since Nancy had taken the initiative to make up with him, Caspian knew he should return the favor. Like Larry and Joan had said, it was common for married couples to argue, but one should never let these arguments fester.
“I’m sorry, Nancy,” he whispered. “What happened before was my fault, and I promise not to make any more unreasonable demands. You have my full support in whatever you wish to do or learn. Now that I think about it, Taekwondo’s pretty good too. After all, it is your way of life… “
Caspian was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t realize Nancy had become a sobbing mess. Even though she had kept her eyes shut as tightly as possible, tears still streamed down uncontrollably.
He always had her best interests at heart and tried to please her or give in to her whenever he could. How could Nancy, in good conscience, tell him that she wanted a break-up? Doing this to a man like Caspian would undoubtedly make her the greatest sinner of all time.
When he felt a patch of wetness on his shoulder, he realized she was crying and panicked a little. “What’s the matter? Have I said something wrong to upset you again? If so, I’ll apologize again, but please stop crying. You know how I’m like when women cry in front of me… “
His words only made Nancy bawl even louder as she lamented her fate. Why was she forced to choose between two people? Why did life have to be so complicated for someone as ordinary as her?
Caspian panicked even more as he tried to comfort her as he would a kid. “There, there. Don’t cry. Boss told me today that we should always talk through our misunderstandings. Besides, our problem is peanuts compared to what Boss and Joan had to go through. Despite all that, they still stuck through thick and thin.”
Caspian’s lips curled into a smile as he continued, “Us, on the other hand, are always fighting over the little matters in our daily lives. To think we call ourselves adults when we behave so childishly.”
