Tears trembled on Carol’s cheeks, making her
look so beautiful and tragic.
Mark hugged them both. “I promised I’d
always protect you. No one’s going to hurt
you.”
I apologized to the teacher and led Lily out,
covering her eyes.
Warm tears soaked my hand as Lily hiccuped,
“Mommy, I hate… Daddy.”
“Me too.”
That night, Mark came home early with a
bowl of clam chowder.
“I got this just for you guys. Here.” Then he
went to shower.
Lily perked up at the smell. I opened the
plastic lid when Mark’s phone dinged.
A message from Carol: “Thanks for the
seafood feast, Mark!”
“Did you happen to take the leftover
chowder?”
They got a seafood feast, and Lily and I got
the leftovers.
I dumped the chowder in the trash. Mark
came out of the bathroom and saw it.
“What’d I do now?”
I shoved the phone in his face. He sighed.
“Timmy punched Lily. I was just buying them
dinner to make up for it.”
“So you think it was Lily’s fault?”
He didn’t say anything. I pointed to the door.
“Get out.”
“You’re being irrational,” Mark spat.
Lily’s transfer papers were almost ready.
I kept her home from school and we started
looking at cities we might like.
“Mommy, I like Miami. It’s not cold.”
“What about Miami? You guys going on
vacation?”
Mark was behind us. I quickly hid my phone.
He reached for it, but his phone rang.
Г
Carol’s voice, frantic: “Mark, Timmy’s got a
stomachache after dinner! What do I do?”
Mark’s face went white. He grabbed his
clothes and ran.
“Don’t worry, I’m coming!”
He was so panicked he tripped over the
coffee table.
Timmy got a tummy ache, and Mark freaked
out.
Lily had a fever, and he thought she was
faking.
You’re something else, Mark.
لمحصنام
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because she went to
く
Lily must have noticed, because she went to
bed without saying another word.
After I tucked her in, I saw Carol’s Facebook
post:
“So lucky to have these two in my life.”
It was a picture of Mark carefully adjusting
Timmy’s IV drip, looking worried.
Carol was wearing Mark’s jacket, smiling
sweetly.
I silently hit “Like.”
The post vanished a second later.
Mark called.
く
“Sarah, Carol was just being sentimental. Why
do you have to make such a big deal out of
everything?”
I was just liking a picture.
“I don’t have time for this. Oh, Carol’s pipes
are leaking, so she and Timmy need to stay
with us for two weeks.”
“Clear out the master bedroom for them.”
Before I could speak, Mark hung up.
I laughed to myself.
I would have stayed up all night cleaning the
house, and making it perfect.
But I’d had enough of being the free maid.
く
Let someone else do it for a change.
Lily and I slept great.
The next morning, I heard Carol’s sweet voice
through the door.
“Mark, am I being a burden?”
“Don’t worry, Carol. Sarah is at home all day,
just waiting to take care of you.”
I opened the door. Timmy was running wild,
shooting marbles across the room.
Mark saw me and said, “Help Carol with her
bags. There’s too much for her to handle
alone.”
I laughed. “That’s her problem, not mine.”
Mark froze, his eyebrows practically meeting
in the middle.
“Mark, I don’t think Sarah is happy that we
are here. I’ll go somewhere else.
Carol’s tears came on cue.
I think I’m younger than Carol.
Mark’s face turned hard.
“Sarah, I told you there’s nothing going on
with me and Carol. Can’t you be a little
understanding?”
“Understanding?” I’d heard that word a million
times.
Ever since Mark went to the besnital to take
Ever since Mark went to the hospital to take
care of Carol, he’d wanted me to be
understanding.
I let it slide when I had to go to the hospital
alone to give birth.
Mark couldn’t make it because it was
Timmy’s birthday and he had to be there.
I went into labor an hour after he left.
He didn’t answer calls or reply to messages.
I had to call an ambulance and spent the
whole night alone giving birth to Lily.
Mark never spent Thanksgiving with us,
because “Carol and Timmy are lonely.”
Did he ever stop to think about how Lily and I
only had each other during the holidays?
My sad expression must have gotten to Mark.
He reached for me, but I flinched.
He stopped, surprised. It was the first time I’d
ever pulled away.
Timmy tugged on Mark’s pants. “Daddy, when
are we eating? I’m hungry!”
Mark didn’t answer. He looked at me.
I pretended not to notice.
The winters are long and cold.
Mark and I came here because I was in love
Mom said I’d regret it. But back then I
thought I knew everything.
I do regret it.
My love couldn’t warm his cold heart, and I
never could handle the cold.
Carol pulled Timmy away from Mark and
scolded. “Don’t call Mark ‘Daddy‘! Sarah will
get upset!”
Timmy started bawling, and accidentally hit
Lily in the eye with a marble.
I panicked.
