The 12th Kiss

❁man & the other woman

❁Man and the other woman

After completing the article for Watcher's magazine, Metilda arrived at her son's school. By profession, Metilda 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, Metilda 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.

"Talirha," Metilda 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 Metilda wished hadn't slipped.

 "It's not going to be 'fine',"

"But you guys were perfect. John, I can't believe he would give up on you easily. You two were the ideals for our marriage. Jai and I, we gained strength whenever we saw you. How did it fall so quickly?"

            Metilda closed her eyes, her mind taking her to a place buried in the past.

John 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," 

Metilda 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 Metilda's belly. "And for our little one,"

Then another scene.

"Look what I bought you for Christmas," John slipped a diamond necklace around Metilda's neck.

Metilda frowned. "John, 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,

            John tossed the necklace on the floor. "I sold my watch to buy you that necklace. Okay? Stop fretting out,"

            Then another. Metilda wanted it to stop but it wouldn't.

"Why don't we go out somewhere this weekend? I mean we barely do these days," John 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," Metilda sighed as she heated up the baby's bottle.

            "I'll take care of the baby while you finish-"

"No, John. I'll manage. The last time you gave Louis the wrong medicine and we had to rush to the hosip-"

            "Never mind. Forget I even asked,"

"How did we fall apart so quickly?" Metilda mused. "It wasn't in one day, Talihra. Eventually small arguments turned into huge as the distances between us kept widening,"