His Countdown Changed I Left With My Kid

Chapter 2

The next morning, sunlight filled our bedroom.

Rhys stood in front of the mirror tying his tie, smiling at my reflection. "Love, I'm just going to the office to wrap up some work. I'll be back by midday." He came over and kissed me gently on the cheek. "I've already bought the tickets for the amusement park this afternoon. I'll come back and pick you up as soon as I'm done."

I was brushing Annabelle's hair and did not look up. "All right. Go on then."

Rhys adjusted his suit and walked out the door.

The number above his head had changed to six days.

At ten that morning, I finished making a pot of soothing warm pear and mushroom compote. The air had been dry lately, and Rhys had been coughing for the past few days.

I poured the soup into an insulated carrier, took Annabelle's hand, and we left.

"Mommy, where are we going?" Annabelle looked up at me.

"To bring some soup to Daddy."

*****

Rhys's office was in a tall building downtown. As Annabelle and I approached the reception area, the girl at the front desk smiled at me, knowing who I was.

"Here you are. Mr. Keaton is in his office."

I nodded and walked with Annabelle toward the office at the end of the hall. The door was not fully closed; it stood slightly ajar. I lifted my hand to knock when I heard voices from inside.

"Mr. Keaton, I still don't understand these numbers. Could you show me again?" It was a young woman's voice.

"Here, you need to pull up the last quarter's report and compare them side by side." Rhys's voice was soft and gentle.

I looked through the gap. Rhys sat behind his desk, and a young woman in a blouse stood close beside him. She leaned in so far her shoulder almost touched his, and she held a mug in her hands as she stared down at the screen.

That mug was the one I had made myself on a trip we took years ago. Our names were engraved on the bottom.

When Rhys finished explaining, he took the mug from her and took a sip. "Does that make sense now?"

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Keaton." She smiled brightly.

I pushed the door open. The hinge creaked softly and both of them looked up quickly.

She jumped back at once.

Rhys looked surprised, but only for a second. Then he stepped toward me, calm as ever. "Love, what are you doing here?" He took the carrier from my hands. "I told you I'd be home at noon. You didn't have to come all this way." He sounded so natural, so sure of himself, you would never guess anything was wrong.

I looked at the number above him. Five days and twelve hours. "You've been coughing," I said. "I made you some soup."

I led Annabelle over to the sofa and sat down.

Rhys opened the carrier and the sweet, fresh scent of pears filled the room.

He turned to the young woman. "Lana, you've been working late every night and your voice is all hoarse. Here, have this bowl." He poured a serving and handed it straight to her.

Lana looked surprised and waved her hands. "Oh no, I couldn't. This was made specially for you. I shouldn't have it." She glanced at me as she spoke, her look bold and challenging.

"It's fine, it's just soup," Rhys said. "My wife makes wonderful food. Go ahead." He put the bowl in her hands. "Careful, it's hot." Then he turned back to me. "Lana's our new trainee. She's been pulling all-nighters to get this project finished. She works so hard. You don't mind, do you?"

I watched him give away what I had spent three hours stirring slowly on the stove since six that morning.

I remembered the early days, when we had nothing. We lived in a tiny apartment with no heating and ate instant noodles. Even then, he would save the last sip of warm water in his cup just for me.

Now he was taking what I had made and giving it to her.

"Of course, I don't mind," I said, leaning back against the cushion and watching her sip the soup. "You have been working very hard, haven't you, Lana?"

She set the bowl down and smiled at me. "Thank you. It tastes lovely."

Rhys smiled back, pleased. He picked up our mug and walked to the water cooler to fill it.

I spoke calmly. "There's lipstick on that mug, Rhys. You always hated things being dirty, didn't you?"