⇾ 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 | 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐈

𝚅

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚒𝚟𝚎 → 𝙰 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚎 𝙳𝚒𝚜𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝙱𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚍𝚊𝚢

⊹ 𝟷𝟶-𝟿-𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟽 ⊹

"Hey, John, I'm home," I stammered as I stepped through the front door. My hands were shaking and the paper Paul had given me was folded in my back pocket.

"That was quick," he said, entering the foyer. He was wearing an unbuttoned dress shirt and a pair of blue trousers, a towel thrown over his shoulder. "Get everything you need?"

I nodded. "Yeah...I did."

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Something wrong?" he asked. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Nothing...where's Jules?" I asked him.

"Was just about to run him a bath. He's picking out what toys he wants to bring in with him...are you sure there isn't something wrong? Can't shake the feeling that ye might be lyin' to me."

"Okay, there is something," I said, trying to stay calm. I had to be mindful about this. I was going to try and get him to tell me. Granted, that most likely wasn't going to work, but it was worth a bloody shot. "But it seems a bit silly, to be honest. Don't know why I didn't see it coming."

"What?" he asked confusedly. "Did Paul do something? Say something? What are you talking about, Alissa?"

"Said somethin', yeah," I responded.

John looked like he was about to respond, but another voice cut him off.

"Daddy, I'm ready!" Julian shouted, hurrying down the stairs in nothing but his underwear. "Mummy!"

I looked at my son and felt pain enter my heart. If John really was cheating on me and about to tear our lives apart at the seams, I couldn't even bring myself to imagine how it would affect the little boy.

"Hey, Jules," I said with a ridiculously forced smile. The little boy ran over and wrapped his arms around my legs, smiling up at me. "Ready for a bath?" I asked him.

"Got my whale and my shark," he said, holding up the plastic toys so I could see. "I'm ready!" He jumped up and down enthusiastically.

"Good, let's get you up there then!" John said, reaching down a scooping Julian into his arms. I watched as he ran him up the stairs and then I followed behind them, slowly, so that I could have a little time to think about what I was about to do.

Then, I watched as John placed him in the bathtub, smiling the whole time. Once Julian  was settled in the tub and playing with his toys, he stepped out of the room and closed the door—not all the way, but just enough so that Julian couldn't see us.

"Well, what did Paul say to ye?" he asked me rather sternly.

I swallowed and pursed my lips, looking down towards the floor. "You remember that artist? That one that you signed up for the postcard thing with last month?"