The 12th Kiss

❁in love again

                ❁In love again

                Seven in the evening, John stood at the door step of their cozy, one story house. Spring was about to arrive. John noted that he had few weeds to pluck from the front yard. The sunflower buds were almost ready to bloom. Metilda loved sunflowers, John reminisced, he had sown an entire patch in-front of their house just for her.

                He rapped his knuckled against the door. The sound echoed through the small house.

Metilda opened the door a minute later, her skin flushed red, her brown hair in wispy curls.

 "You came?" The statement sounded more like a question from her lips as she side stepped to let him in.

He hung his coat on the rack and shrugged his shoulders. "You told me to come. So here I am,"

She shook her head slightly. "I didn't expect you to come,"

                He turned around and stared at her. "Why is it such a surprise?"

Metilda purposely didn't answer his question. "What about your dinner with Jannet?"

                "I canceled it."

"Why?"

                John rose an eyebrow, incredulous. "You said you had to talk about something important,"

 "Oh of-course," She felt stupid for asking him that. She had been in such a daze from his arrival, she had no clue what she was saying. "I'm ready to take Louis's custody."

                Relief filled John's face. "That's great news. God, Jannet will be so relieved."

Swallowing the bitter taste in her mouth, she smiled. "But-"

                The smile dropped instantly as he interjected. "There's always a but. What do you want? Money, this house."

                Tears swelled in her eyes. Is this what he thought of her? She blinked a couple times. The shield of strength and cold ice was back in place. "No, I don't want any of it. Keep your house. I'm capable of buying another for my son and I."

                "What else do you want, Metilda?" He asked her, puzzled.

She took a deep breath in. "I want you to kiss me in-front of our son for twelve days,"

                John didn't ask her why. He was afraid she would change her mind if he did. After three months of pleading, she had finally given in. Twelve kisses if that was all it took to get rid of her then so it be.

                He stepped forward, eyes of green forest and honey met half-way. Before Metilda had chance to stop him, he lowered his face and captured her soft lips. It had been a while since he had last kissed her, a while too long. Metilda felt her heart race, faster and faster as he gently cupped her cheek.

                No, no, no she chanted inside her head not now, not when their son was sleeping upstairs.

She did what she had to and pushed him away. "Were you listening to what I was saying? In-front of our son-"

John brushed off her comment with a bored expression. "The faster we get this done the better. One down. Eleven to go."

He started walking towards his room, leaving Metilda angry and frazzled. How she wished that kiss hadn't dazed her?

                Before entering his room, he turned around one last time. "If you think in these twelve days, I'm going to fall in love with you again then you're heavily mistaken."

                Was John always this cruel? Metilda thought because she no longer recognized her husband.

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                Note: I feel bad for Metilda. :'(... is it just me?