I hadn't gone far when I heard Alex say he was going to the Harbor District to see Sophie.
After Lily coquettishly acted unhappy, I heard the sound of a belt being undone, and her broken, intermittent panting.
I turned around in satisfaction, and suddenly heard Lily ask in a low voice.
"Darling, what she said just now about not letting me be intimate with you—was she jealous of me? Our baby is so well-behaved, nothing will happen, right?"
Alex lazily held her, and let out a careless snort: "Don't mind her. She hasn't been pregnant for years—what does she know?"
"Married eight years and no child? Is there something wrong with her?"
"There used to be. The child died in an accident."
My movement going upstairs paused. I didn't turn back.
Only the hand I had on the railing clenched so hard it hurt.
What Alex said after that, I didn't hear.
Back in the room.
Closing the door, I saw the child's innocent, adorable smile in the photo frame, and all the calmness I had maintained scattered completely.
My eyes swelled.
My nails dug into my palm. It hurt, but it wasn't even one ten-thousandth of the pain in my chest.
Alex didn't just forget that today was my birthday.