On Wednesday, it was Peyton's grandfather's 80th birthday. As per tradition, we were supposed to return to his grandfather's house to celebrate.
The past two years, Peyton had always come to pick me up, and we would bring gifts together. But this time, it was a bit different.
It was already past noon, and the conversation between Peyton and me remained stagnant.
Since he left that night, we hadn't seen each other, let alone spoken a word. It had been a whole week. For no reason, I was feeling a bit down.
I didn't wait any longer and drove to the old house by myself.
Peyton's grandfather sat on the sofa, looking sharp and alert as he leaned on his cane, his gaze drifting up and down my body in confusion.
I smiled and walked up to him. "Happy birthday, Grandpa."
Grandfather nodded repeatedly, then called out to Peyton's mom beside him, whispering, "Hayden, who is this?"
Peyton's mom smiled and replied, "This is Janet, your granddaughter-in-law."
Upon hearing this, grandfather murmured an "Oh," and looked behind me. His eyes scanned the empty living room in a bit of a hurry.
"Why didn't you bring my great-grandchild?"
Peyton's mom shook her head helplessly. Grandfather's Alzheimer's disease had become more severe, sometimes he was lucid, and other times confused. I didn't know when exactly he had Janetted to remember a child that wasn't even in the family yet. Before I could figure out how to respond, the sound of Peyton's voice came from outside.
"Who's looking for a great-grandson? Isn't having me enough?"
He placed a handful of supplements down and sat next to me, his body slightly tense, but his voice remained gentle.
"Sorry, I've been a bit busy today."
I didn't want to think too much about why he was so busy, so I just shook my head and said it was fine, then peeled an orange and handed it to grandfather. The previously harmonious atmosphere suddenly felt tense, even Peyton's mom, who was tending to the plants at the far end, seemed to notice. She pulled me aside and whispered, "Did Peyton do something to upset you?" I smiled and reassured her, "No, Mom, please don't worry."
Her worried gaze made me feel like her suspicions weren't quite eased, but I couldn't explain. Our relationship truly hadn't changed; everything was the same as before.
But small, subtle changes couldn't be considered abnormal.
Moreover, it was a change that couldn't be spoken of. At the dinner table, his father cleared his throat and glanced at us.
"Do you have any plans to have children?"
I nearly choked on my food, coughing awkwardly a few times.
Peyton, without lifting his head, continued drinking soup, his tone casual as he replied, "We're still planning."
His words shut the elders up immediately. Peyton's father placed his wine glass down a little too forcefully, clearly dissatisfied with the answer but unable to do anything about it. Having forced one son away because of the marriage alliance, he no longer dared to put too much pressure on Peyton. The clock struck nine, and we stood up, heading towards the bedroom.
This is a rule set by Grandpa—on his birthday, everyone has to gather and stay over
No matter how much we might live separately on normal days, on this day, we had to stay in the same room.
The bed was large, and we didn't crowd each other, so I wrapped myself in the blanket and lay down first.
He seemed to have something on his mind as well. I felt the space behind me sink slightly, then the light flickered off, leaving only a faint glow from the bedside lamp.
I couldn't sleep.
After a while, I slowly turned to look at Peyton.
His eyes were closed, his lashes long and thick, his nose straight…
My gaze almost stuck to his crimson lips.
For no particular reason, I slowly moved closer, intending to leave a secret just for me in the silence.
But suddenly, I was jolted awake.
As I tried to retreat to a safe distance, he suddenly grabbed my arm. His eyes, filled with aggression, locked onto mine. Peyton's hands felt like a furnace, the warmth spreading from my arm to my entire body.
I struggled, "Let go of me."
He swiftly flipped over and pinned me beneath him, his hand brushing across my face, despite the thin blanket between us.
That's what happens when you tempt fate.
My heart was racing, and even though I remained defiant, refusing to yield, I couldn't stop myself from saying something that could ruin the moment.
"Peyton, we're going to divorce."
He suddenly lowered his head, placing a heavy kiss on my lips.
My mind went blank as I pushed against his chest, but all I received was a fiercer kiss. I stopped struggling. His lashes trembled, and his intense kisses gradually became tender. Peyton moved to my ear, his warm breath grazing my skin as he lightly nibbled on my ear. I heard his whisper.
"Janet, don't disappear on me tomorrow."
……
