Chapter 2 Neglect

The proposal ended with me taking the rings. Chris thought that was a page turned, so he tossed it behind him. Unbeknownst to him, not once did I take the ring out after I tucked it away in the bag.

The winds must've been chilly that night, and I was down with a severe cold the next day.

I succumbed to the illness right after I came into the house, plopping onto the couch without even taking my shoes off.

"I have a fever. Get me some meds after you clock out."

His reply came swiftly. "Get some water. I have a meeting in the afternoon, but I'll be back right after that."

I was feeling too unwell to muster up any strength for a response. Instead, I held my phone against my chest and closed my eyes.

…

A long, long time later, I groggily heard someone opening the door. As I pushed myself up from the couch, I realized it was Chris, and he was changing shoes at the entryway.

"You're back." My throat was so sore, I nearly couldn't talk.

He came and touched my forehead, frowning as he said, "You're so careless. I shouldn't have let you wear that dress last night. You're scalding. Just lie down, and I'll fetch some water for you."

I looked at Chris and took the meds from his hand. Just when I was going to nod, a shrill ringtone interrupted me.

"What's wrong, Winona?"

I thought I heard someone crying on the other end of the phone, and the look on Chris's face shifted. He grabbed the suit on the couch and hurried off.

When he hit the entryway, he remembered something and looked at me.

"She ran into trouble at school. I need to go. You'll have to get the water yourself." He closed the door before I could say anything.

I looked at the tablets in my hand. The white coating was already softening from my palms' warmth. The edges were starting to melt and stick to my skin.

Silence wrapped itself around the living room. Rays of the setting sun slid through the cracks between the curtains and slowly climbed up the wall.

…

It was past midnight before that lock rattled again. In came Chris with Winona in her arms. The girl was asleep, and her head was resting on his shoulder. Chris's coat was draped on her body.

He looked at me when he went past the living room. I was leaning against the couch, and my hair stuck to my sweaty forehead.

My lips were chapped, and when I was going to say something, he put a finger to his lips, so I shut up.

A frown creased his forehead. He looked at the girl to make sure she wasn't woken up, then he took her into the bedroom.

The door was ajar. I heard rustling coming from within as he placed her in bed and tucked her in.