I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat. "It's fine," I managed, my voice a monotone that surprised even me. "You should go. The child's important."
He stood up and hesitated for a moment before looking at me again. "Wait for me to come back and pick you up. I'll be back soon." With that, he hurriedly grabbed his coat and left.
I was left alone, staring at the half-eaten cake. Rain lashed against the windowpanes, mimicking the tears I refused to shed. After a sigh, I finished the cake, then got up and left.
A cab passed by and I hailed it to go home. However, I did not bring an umbrella, and there was still a bit of a walk from the entrance to our apartment building. The drizzle hit my face, making it very cold.
After I got in and took a shower, I saw Sophie's tweet with a picture. It was Adrian accompanying her and her child. The warm yellow light in their room was a stark contrast to the coldness of the rain outside.
Part 5
Adrian did not come home until the next morning. As soon as he came back, he started explaining, "Jesse had a high fever all night. It wouldn't go down."
Jesse was Sophie's child. To my ears, the name felt like a foreign word.