Later that night, as Valerie lay beside me, Ayden called.
"Valerie," he said, "I’m not used to being at the hospital alone. It’s uncomfortable..."
Hearing his voice, she immediately got up, ready to leave.
At that moment, my phone also rang.
It was my mother.
"Minton, happy birthday," she said warmly. Her voice was loud enough for Valerie to hear.
Instantly, Valerie froze mid-step, her expression stiffening.
"Today is your birthday?" she asked. "Why didn’t you tell me earlier?"
But before I could answer, Ayden’s voice interrupted again, crying on the other end of her call.
After a moment of hesitation, she turned and walked out.
"I’ll be back later," she said.
Watching her resolute figure disappear, I felt no emotion.
I simply said into the phone, "Thanks, Mom. I’m coming home."
Home. My real home.
There was a long pause on the other end of the line.
Finally, my mom replied, "That’s good. No matter what, I support you."
She didn’t ask why I suddenly wasn’t getting married.
She knew me well enough to understand that I wasn’t impulsive; there had to be a reason.
Valerie didn’t come back that night.
The next day, I booked a plane ticket and went to the office to finalize my resignation.