Chapter 1
"Wait for me to come home,"
He used to say that every time he left for work.
Every time his lips would hum those words as he leaned forward to kiss her.
She did, always did and still did wait for him even though he no longer asked her to do so.
With white lavender perfume rubbed into her tresses, tired eyes of honey suckles would wait.
Amiyah whirled away in the kitchen, the hem of her light, cotton nightgown flourishing behind her like ocean tides.
Her skin was pale and her heart was tired and sad.
Little Alfredo of five watched his mother heating the kettle of chamomile tea.
It was his father's favorite, little Alfredo knew that.
His mother always made his father's favorites because his mother loved his father very much.
Though, he knew his father didn't love his mummy.
He didn't kiss her like Cillian's dad would kiss Cillian's mom.
He was always angry and shouted at mummy for no reason and sometimes mummy would yell back too.
It made Alfredo very scared.
"Alfredo,why don't you go to bed?
I'll tuck you in a minute." Amiyah eyes were busy on the boiling pot of milk.
"Wait for daddy I want," Alfredo smiled at his mother, tugging the hem of her skirt.
"Wait together,"
"It's notwait for daddy I wantit'sI want to wait for daddy together," Amiyah had a rule of not answering Alfredo until he spoke correctly.
Half the time, she used this rule to avoid his inquisition likewhy dad didn't come for dinner?
Why dad didn't come to his school?
Why didn't dad do this or that?
Why does his mom cry?
It gave Amiyah a headache.
"I want to wait for daddy together," He repeated.
"No, he's going to be late again," In reality, Amiyah didn't even know if he was going to return let alone be late.
"There is some work left at office," She didn't even know why she was explaining all this to her son.
"You know how hard daddy works for us,"
"Please mummy, Alfredo eat dinner with daddy,"
"My baby," Moments like these broken her heart.
"If you go to sleep, I'll make you-"
"No!" He thrashed his fists in the air.
Amiyah noted how similar to his father he looked when he was angry.
Their wild grass green eyes glowed red while their cheeks were tinted into the brightest shade of peach.
"Alfredo eat with daddy!
Alfredo eat with daddy!"
She sighed.
There was no way to end his fit.
Once he had begun throwing a tantrum, Alfredo won't calm down until he's gotten what he desires.
"Alfredo, you're a good boy.
Good boys listen to mummy,"
"Alfredo bad boy!
Alfredo bad boy!
Alfredo eat with daddy!
Mummy lies!
Daddy, mummy fight!
Daddy don't love mummy no more!"
She lost all self-control.
Before even realizing it, she had slapped her boy.
A moment later, red fingerprints appeared on his cheek.
Tears crept out of her eyes, not Alfredo who had shushed up now.
She sunk onto the cold tiles, a blubbering mess of tears and sobs.
"Mummy, don't cry.
Mummy, Alfredo be good boy now.
Mummy, Alfredo go to sleep.
Don't cry, mummy.
Alfredo don't eat with daddy.
Alfredo don't wait for daddy.
I go to sleep.
I don't make mummy cry like daddy.
Ilovemy mummy,"
Eyes drowned in tears, a heart burdened with sorrow, lungs breaking every moment, she hugged the small boy.
Amiyah knew in that moment she had make her son see that his daddy didlovemummy.
She would do whatever it takes.
❁❁❁❁❁
Three in the morning, a fumble of keys resounded in the porch.
A drunk, once handsome man stumbled into the one-story Tabigda house.
Amiyah rushed to her husband's aid.
He laid a big, sloppy kiss on her mouth.
"May, June, July..." Devin slurred.
"May, June, July...
I can't never seem to remember their names."
There was a long strand of hair on his shoulder.
It clearly didn't belong to him, Amiyah noted, a bitter taste entering her mouth.
Her young self would have been horror-struck.
Her younger self wouldn't have let him in, she would have let him rot outside in the porch while she cried inside, right beside the door.
The smell of cheap perfume lingered from his coat as she placed it on the worn, maple dining table.
Devin slumped onto the chair, a goofy smile on his lips.
"May, June, July....
AndAmiyah,"
The strings in her chest tightened when he said her name.
Right then, she knew she couldn't leave him even if she wanted to.
Why was she being punished for loving him?
She poured him a cup of chamomile tea but he gripped her hand, stopping her in the process.
"Why don't you leave me alone...?"
"You know why, Devin"
"I don't understand.
We fight too much.
You're making me ill, Amiyah.
Just leave me alone," He pulled her closer instead of letting go.
Their breaths mixed as a snowstorm messed with the wild wind.
With his index finger, he traced the outline of her lips.
"May, June, July.
I can't never seem to remember their names but I remember Greta and I love her,"
"I know you do," She whispered, calmly.
As calm as a winter storm could be.
"She won't ever be mine until you take Alfredo's custody.
She don't want the child,"
"Maybe that's why I don't take his custody." Amiyah spoke freely.
She knew he wasn't going to remember anything in the morning.
"Oh you evil woman, you pain in my-"He cursed.
The words bounced off her stone hard shield.
Whatever he said, it didn't make a difference on her anymore.
He pushed her away.
"I'll get rid of you.
I swear I will.
Then I'll be free to be with my sweet Greta and I won't ever come home,"
Amiyah stroked his hair.
It was as dark as the countryside's night sky.
"You'll come back home, dear.
Trust me.
Love doesn't fall apart so easy,"
After completing the article forWatcher's magazine,Amiyah arrived at her son's school.
By profession, Amiyah was a journalist.
She had a masters in journalism but couldn't fully pursue the career as raising her son took most her time.
So occasionally, she would work as a freelancer and write reports for various publishing agencies.
The town's clock struck one fifteen in the afternoon.
In her mother's red dress, Amiyah talked to her sister on the phone while she waited her son's class to be dismissed.
The school's front lawn was crowded with parents.
Some chatted with each other, others were busy on their phones, and few stared off in a distance.
"Evelyn," Amiyah whispered, quietly.
"I've decided.
I'm signing the divorce papers,"
Her sister's frantic voice came from the other side.
"Give it some time.
I'm sure it'll be fine,"
Time was the one thing that Amiyah wished hadn't slipped.
"It's not going to be 'fine',"
"But you guys wereperfect.
Devin, I can't believe he would give up on you easily.
You two were the ideals for our marriage.
Rohan and I, we gained strength whenever we saw you.
How did it fall so quickly?"
Amiyah closed her eyes, her mind taking her to a place buried in the past.
Devin leaned forward, slowly.
"You're my only one," His face was inches away from hers and then he whispered.
"I love you and will keep loving you until death does up apart,"
Amiyah felt her mind whirl further ahead as another scene played in front of her eyes.
The city lights sparkled, his entire face glowed with happiness.
"This is our home.
Can't you see it?
The sofa will be here, the TV there and the kitchen, wow!
Amazing, isn't' it?
You've always loved to cook.
This will perfect for us," He stopped walking and turned around, placing a hand on Amiyah's belly.
"And for our little one,"
Then another scene.
"Look what I bought you for Christmas," Devin slipped a diamond necklace around Amiyah's neck.
Amiyah frowned.
"Devin, you shouldn't have.
We need to be saving money.
The bills-"
"Oh can we forget the bills for one day-"
"It doesn't work like that.
We need to plan our expenses,
Devin tossed the necklace on the floor.
"I sold my watch to buy you that necklace.
Okay?
Stop fretting out,"
Then another.
Amiyah wanted it to stop but it wouldn't.
"Why don't we go out somewhere this weekend?
I mean we barely do these days," Devin smiled, hopefully one day after returning from work.
"Let's go to the brookla-"
"With the baby and then my journalism assignments, I don't think I have the time," Amiyah sighed as she heated up the baby's bottle.
"I'll take care of the baby while you finish-"
"No, Devin.
I'll manage.
The last time you gave Alfredo the wrong medicine and we had to rush to the hosip-"
"Never mind.
Forget I even asked,"
"How did we fall apart so quickly?" Amiyah mused.
"It wasn't in one day, Evelyn.