Chapter 2
After Grace and Ruby moved in, Ruby's old preschool was pretty far away. Grace couldn't make the trip, so Kevin took the job on himself.
"It's no problem, Grace. It's on my way to work anyway."
"That would be wonderful. It's just so much trouble for you." Her bright eyes were full of softness.
One time, Ruby's school had a sports day and asked both parents to come. Kevin told me he planned to take time off and go with her.
"Do you really have to go? You're not her dad."
"I don't want Ruby getting hurt or mocked for not having a father. It's just this once. Stop being so petty."
That night, I was stunned by a post Grace made online.
In the photo, Ruby stood in the middle while the three of them held hands and smiled like one happy family.
Caption: [Had such a great time doing the school event with my little girl today ^^]
It looked exactly like a picture of a happy family of three.
Kevin and I had been married for three years and still didn't have children. We were both busy with work, so we'd planned to wait until I turned thirty.
But it was obvious Kevin liked kids. Maybe it really was time for us to have one of our own.
That night, after we turned off the lights and were just getting in the mood,
sudden, urgent knocking broke out at the door.
I was instantly annoyed.
"Kevin, Lily, are you asleep yet?"
"Grace, what's wrong?" Kevin answered right away, clearing his throat.
"Ruby suddenly has a fever." Her voice through the door sounded helpless and fragile.
The second Kevin heard that, he got up and opened the door.
Grace looked pale with worry, and her eyes were glistening with tears.
"Ruby looked off all afternoon. She's burning up now. I checked, and it's 102.2 degrees. She needs to go to the hospital right away."
"Okay, Grace. Give me a second. I'll drive you there right now." Kevin started getting dressed without even thinking twice.
"Honey, just go back to sleep. Don't wait up for us." Before I could even answer, the door slammed shut.
I tossed and turned all night. It wasn't until two in the morning that the three of them finally came back.
The next morning at breakfast,
Grace looked at Kevin and said, "Kevin, I'm so sorry for all the trouble. Thank God you were there last night. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have known what to do."
Her eyes looked misty, and her voice was so soft and helpless it practically begged for sympathy.
"I made a big breakfast. Try it while it's hot." She put food on Kevin's plate herself.
"Grace, it's really nothing. We're family. Of course we should help each other." Kevin looked completely unconcerned as he ate.
I buried the disappointment inside me, lowered my eyes, and quietly picked at the rice in my bowl.
"Lily, did I interrupt you two last night?" she asked, biting her lip again and putting on that helpless look.
"It's fine. I'm just tired from work, so I don't have much appetite today." I got up and went back to the bedroom.
"Kevin, did I make Lily mad?" Grace sounded hurt and aggrieved.
"Don't overthink it, Grace. Eat your breakfast. I'll go check on her." Kevin got up and followed me into the room.
"Why are you making that face? Grace and Ruby have no one. Ruby was sick. What's wrong with me helping them out more?" he said, clearly blaming me.
"Helping is one thing, but there should be limits. In the middle of the night, with just the two of you...
We had rules, remember? Our marriage comes first. You keep boundaries with Grace. But you left me home alone in the middle of the night." I was so angry I was shaking.
"Stop being ridiculous. It was an emergency. Do you know how hard it is for Grace to take a sick child to the hospital by herself? Not only did you refuse to help, you're throwing a fit now." His brows were tightly furrowed.
"Grace is so gentle and considerate. Why can't you learn from her? I'm going to work. Calm down." Then he turned and walked out.
My throat tightened instantly. Every word he said cut into me like a blade.
I was the unreasonable one, while she was the gentle, considerate one. My husband was turning into someone else's husband, and the father of my future child was practically becoming someone else's dad, yet I was the one expected to smile and be generous.