Our relationship has significantly improved, most noticeably with Simon being "harsher."
Even though our level of intimacy is already quite frequent, his efforts have intensified recently.
Still, I cherish these moments, free from complex romantic entanglements.
Life is full of surprises. After enduring so long, my birthday is nearly here. That day, I went out to shop for things needed for an overseas trip. Unfortunately, I suffered a headache and was struck by someone.
Seeing me curled up on the ground and pale, that man wanted to call an ambulance, but I stopped him and called Dr. Damen instead. He was supposed to be off that day.
Dr. Damen arrived quickly. He lifted me from the ground, writhing in pain, placed me in his car, and administered a sedative. As I slowly recovered, I managed to joke with him, "When I die, I'll leave half my legacy to you. You're more dependable than a boyfriend."
He glanced at me amidst his busy schedule, "Who wants your legacy?"
"What would you want then? I don’t have much to offer."
After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Cook me a meal. To be honest, I was initially attracted to you because your cooking was irresistible."
"Oh."
I've cooked for Simon for many years without making him fall for me.
We went to the market, and with a grateful heart, I prepare a feast. Dr. Damen, initially watching leisurely from the kitchen doorway, was called in to assist. While we are cooking, Simon called, "What happened? Someone at the office said they saw you get hit on the street."
I was startled, not expecting him to know, "Just a minor accident, nothing serious."
He took a deep breath, "Where are you now?"
As Dr. Damen handed me the prepared shrimp, he remarked, "I’ve removed the veins and heads. Had known it would be this troublesome, I would have just bought shrimp meat."
Hearing his voice, Simon fell silent.
I explained, "Dr. Damen helped me out, and cooking for him at his home now."
"It seems there's no issue then," he responded gravely and hung up.
Dr. Damen and I exchanged glances. He shrugged.
That night, Simon came back late at night. I bounced up to him happily, handing him a warm glass of milk, "When are we going to Norway? I need to book the tickets."
He glanced at me. He didn’t take the milk or speak.
In that silence, I sensed something.
Sure enough, he lowered his gaze, "Sorry, there's a challenging project in the UK that our company has taken over. I need to be there personally from start to finish. It will take at least six months."
I unconsciously clenched the glass.
Previously, I could have understood. Work comes first; careers are a priority. I understand that.
Although stubborn as I am,I never interfered with his business.
"Could we perhaps delay it? Even if we go to Norway, we won't stay long," I said, my voice tinged with a hint of pleading. Perhaps surprised by my insistence, he glanced at me and responded, "Let's go next year. You can stay as long as you wish."
After a long pause, I murmured in agreement. Yet, there would be no chance.
Perhaps feeling guilty, Simon held me from behind in bed, scattering light kisses on my neck and shoulders. I didn't respond, but he wasn’t upset. He continued to kiss me gently, even moving down to kiss my fingers, starting ticklishly but growing more intense. It seemed he was trying to compensate for the upcoming five months we wouldn't see each other.
The next morning, he quickly packed some luggage while Eve drove the car to the front of the house. As Simon said goodbye, he assured, "I'll try to come back when I can."
He was ready to leave when I asked, "Aren’t you going to hug me?"
He hesitated and then leaned in close to me. At that moment, Eve poked her head out of the car, "Boss, it's time to go."
Simon paused—typically, he was not used to be closed to me in front of others. He looked at me and said, "Wait for me to come back." Then, he turned and walked towards Eve.
Out of habit, I counted his steps. One step. Two steps. Three steps… At ten steps, he didn’t looked back. I always hoped he would look back at me, just once, to show he couldn’t bear to leave me. Unfortunately, There was no exception this time.
