The Love Complex (Completed)

-25-

" He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her like the sun, even without looking." -Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

The drunkenness of the night before settled in Dylan's stomach. He opened his eyes to a glaring sun that felt like it would tear his head apart. He and Regina were both lying next to each other in front of the window. Her head rested on his shoulder, and he slowly moved her so she could rest on the pillow they had brought with them to sit the night before.

It was Sunday, and he had a day off, but that didn't mean that he was going to relax and do nothing. He stood up and ran toward his bedroom , almost bumping with the love seat on his way. His stomach was queasy and his head was still bombing with pain. After taking some medicine, and taking a cold shower, he made his way back downstairs. Regina was no longer there. The pillows were also long gone.

He looked back at the spot where they had been sitting the night before. There was something about it that caught his attention. Something that he couldn't remember. It almost rang in his head, but it was very deep inside his mind. Eventually, he let the thought go, and made his way to the kitchen to make something for Regina to eat. A few dirty dishes had accumulated from the night before. Robotically, he walked toward them, and picked them up to wash them in the sink. 

He had never felt comfortable about leaving dirty dishes overnight, but it had happened. He glared at the porcelain plates as he scrubbed them clean. He didn't like using the dishwasher because he didn't think it would clean the dishes as nicely as he could. After he noticed that it was almost glossy, he began with the next one.

His hands were wet, and one of the plates almost slipped from his grip as he took hold of it, but he managed to catch it on time. It was then that he noticed the golden ring in his finger. He had never been keen on jewelry aside from watches. He moved his right hand up in front of him, and looked at the gold ring a few times.

He was a married man. The thought made him feel odd and silly. He knew it was stupid to think too much about it, but he couldn't help it. His left hand moved toward his right hand, and his fingers grazed the ring a few times.

A small smile formed in his lips, and he shook his head. He was being silly, he said to himself. He knew that there was no real reason to smile. 

After a few seconds, he went back to washing the remaining dishes. It was almost twelve thirty when he began to work on brunch. He made something simple and easy to digest, mainly because he was sure that Regina was feeling as bad as he was.

However, before he could set the table, his phone began to ring. It was from the hospital.

The mood in the hospital was quite different. A few nurses had stopped and congratulated him. One of the attending nurses that had been helping him had even questioned him.

"Doctor, what are you doing? I thought it was your day off?" She said, as he grabbed the patient's information from the desk.

"It's just for a few hours, I can manage." He told her.

The nurse nodded but continued to eye him with a suspicious glare.

"By the way, congratulations on your marriage. I hope your wife isn't upset about you having to come."

Dylan nodded. "Thank you," he responded. He didn't really like talking about his marriage, but he was sure that he would be hearing about it for a few more months--maybe even the whole year. There was very little he could do about the questions. However, that specific nurse felt very bent on that topic of conversation. She was single, and the thought of marriage made her feel hopeful for her own future.