Chapter Eleven- MIAN
1542 Words
Yesterday, Rex had told me something I couldn’t stop thinking about.
“You’re my husband too.”
I understood what he meant.
At least, I thought I did.
But perhaps he didn’t understand what our marriage was.
Or perhaps I had misunderstood him from the beginning.
I hadn’t married Rex because I wanted a husband.
I hadn’t married him because I wanted a relationship.
I had married him because of Kai.
That had been the arrangement in my mind from the very beginning.
And I thought Rex understood that.
It wasn’t that I disliked him.
I didn’t.
Rex was a decent man.
He was Kai’s father.
He provided for his son.
He respected me.
And despite the complicated circumstances surrounding our marriage, he had never forced anything from me.
But being someone’s husband?
I didn’t know how to do that.
This was my first marriage.
I’d never been in a relationship where someone expected me to be emotionally available to them.
With Kai, everything was different.
Everything came naturally.
I didn’t have to think about how to be his father.
I simply was.
I knew when he was hungry.
When he was tired.
When he was upset.
I knew when he needed comfort.
I knew when he needed discipline.
I knew when he wanted me to listen.
But with Rex?
I didn’t know what he needed from me.
And honestly, I didn’t know what I could give him.
Still, I couldn’t deny that he had been right about one thing.
Kai needed independence.
He would be six in a few months.
And for the last two months, he had slept in our bedroom almost every night.
At first, I hadn’t minded.
He had been sick when I met him.
He had been frightened.
He needed someone.
And I was there.
But eventually, he needed to learn that his bedroom was safe too.
So that morning, while we were having breakfast, I decided to talk to him.
“Baby.”
Kai looked up from his cereal.
“Yes, Daddy?”
I smiled.
“Do you know you’re going to be six soon?”
His eyes brightened.
“Yes!”
“You’re becoming a big boy.”
He nodded proudly.
“I’m big.”
“Very big.”
He grinned.
Then I reached across the table and gently touched his hand.
“So I was thinking…”
His smile disappeared.
“What?”
“Maybe you could start sleeping in your own bed.”
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
I almost laughed.
“Baby—”
“No, Daddy.”
He shook his head.
“I want to sleep with you.”
I looked at him carefully.
“I know.”
“I don’t want you to go anywhere.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
His little eyes became watery.
“I want to sleep with you because I know you’ll never leave me.”
I froze.
I hadn’t expected that.
Not even remotely.
“Baby…”
He looked down.
“If I sleep in my room, maybe you’ll go away.”
My chest tightened painfully.
I reached across the table and pulled him into my arms.
“Come here.”
He climbed into my lap.
I held him tightly.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
He sniffled.
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
I kissed his forehead.
“I am never leaving you, Kai.”
He wrapped his arms around my neck.
“I just want you to learn to sleep in your own room.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re growing up.”
He looked skeptical.
“You don’t have to watch me sleep to know that I’m here.”
He was quiet.
“You can sleep in your room and still know Daddy is here.”
His little fingers tightened around my shirt.
“I trust you.”
Those three words nearly broke me.
I swallowed hard.
“Then trust me, baby.”
He nodded slowly.
“Okay, Daddy.”
“Okay?”
“I’ll try.”
I smiled.
“But you have to tuck me in every night.”
I laughed softly.
“Baby, I tuck you in every night. You just come into my room later.”
He smiled.
“Then when you tuck me in tonight, I won’t come to your room again.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
He nodded confidently.
“I’m sure.”
Across the table, Rex hadn’t said a word.
But I could feel his eyes on us.
I looked at him briefly.
He was watching Kai.
Then me.
There was something in his expression that I couldn’t quite understand.
But I didn’t ask.
⸻
The rest of the morning went smoothly.
I took Kai to school.
He hugged me before getting out of the car.
“See you later, Daddy.”
“Have a good day.”
“I love you.”
I smiled.
“I love you too.”
He ran toward the school entrance.
I watched until he disappeared inside.
Then I drove to the hospital.
Work was busy.
There were patients everywhere.
Cases to review.
Rounds.
Consultations.
Paperwork.
By early afternoon, I was in my office reviewing a patient’s chart when my phone rang.
It was Mrs. Harper.
I answered immediately.
“Hello?”
“Dr. Mian, it’s me.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Kai just wants to speak with you.”
I smiled.
“Put him on.”
A second later, I heard his voice.
“Daddy!”
I leaned back in my chair.
“Yes, baby?”
“I miss you.”
I laughed.
“I miss you too.”
“I had so much fun at school.”
“Did you?”
“Yes!”
He started telling me everything.
His teacher.
His friends.
Something funny one of the boys had done.
A drawing he’d made.
I listened to every word.
Then I said,
“Okay, baby. Go change your clothes and eat something, alright?”
“Okay.”
“Daddy will be home by seven.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Okay! Bye, Daddy!”
“Bye, sweetheart.”
The call ended.
I stared at my phone for a moment.
That child had somehow become the center of my world.
I didn’t even remember what my life had been like before him.
⸻
I got home a little after seven.
Kai came running toward me.
“Daddy!”
I barely had time to put my things down before he jumped into my arms.
“How was school?”
“Good.”
“Did you do your homework?”
“Yes.”
“Good boy.”
Dinner was peaceful.
Afterward, I took him upstairs.
He was already sleepy.
I helped him change.
Then I tucked him into his bed.
He looked at me seriously.
“You’re not leaving?”
I sat beside him.
“No.”
“You’ll come back tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
“And you’ll tuck me in again?”
“Every night.”
He smiled.
“Okay.”
I kissed his forehead.
“Goodnight, baby.”
“Goodnight, Daddy.”
I stayed until he fell asleep.
Only then did I leave.
And this time…
He didn’t follow me.
I smiled to myself.
My little boy was growing up.
⸻
When I entered my bedroom, Rex wasn’t there yet.
That was normal.
He usually came to bed late.
Sometimes after ten.
Sometimes after midnight.
So I changed into something comfortable and sat on the bed with my tablet.
I had several cases to review.
Notes to complete.
Research to finish.
I became so absorbed that I didn’t notice how much time had passed.
Eventually, the door opened.
Rex walked in.
He looked tired.
Not ordinary tired.
Exhausted.
He changed into comfortable clothes and sat down.
I glanced at him.
“Are you okay?”
He looked at me.
“Yeah.”
I nodded.
“Okay.”
And that was it.
I returned to my tablet.
I didn’t ask again.
He said he was okay.
There was no reason for me to pry.
Still, after a few minutes, I noticed him looking at me.
I glanced up.
Our eyes met.
There was something in his expression.
Almost like he wanted me to ask again.
But I didn’t.
I didn’t know what he wanted me to say.
And I wasn’t going to force a conversation he wasn’t willing to start himself.
So I continued working.
Eventually, my eyes became heavy.
My tablet slipped slightly in my hands.
I placed it beside me.
I lay back against the pillows.
And before I knew it, I was asleep.
That was my day.
Simple.
Quiet.
A day filled with hospital work, a child I had somehow come to love more than I could explain, and a husband I was still trying to understand.
I didn’t know what Rex wanted from me.
I didn’t know what our marriage would become.
But I knew one thing.
The promise I had made to Kai that morning was one I intended to keep.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
Not now.
Not ever.
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