The Sinner

Heartless

At dinner, Star and Sky have a breadstick fight before digging into their baked beans. Ple watches them with a big smile on her face then softly chides, "Boys, that's enough playing." She then adds, "I made this myself; how do you boys like it?"

"Mm! It's delicious!" Star exclaims, making mommy happy but she can still get happier. She turns to Sky then, "Hon?"

"It's great." Sky remarks warmly. To be fair, he does like it. It just doesn't give him that homey happy family together forever feeling that Ple is going for. But it's good.

"I'm gonna cook more often seeing as you two like it so much." Ple declares. She's practically on cloud 9 but she ends up digging her own grave when she asks Star, "Did you have fun with dad today?"

"Mm!" Star answers with half a mouthful. "I also made a new friend, P'Rain."

Sky almost chokes. But although he knew this could happen, he wasn't going to teach his kid to lie so he simply hoped against hope that it won't come up. Tough luck.

"R-rain?" Ple asks, her smile sliding down her face. Her eyes then flick up to Sky with a glint of anger. But before she can jump to conclusions, Sky clarifies, "We just bumped into each other; he was alone."

Ple takes a deep breath, forcing an awkward chuckle for Star. "I-is that so? How is he?"

"Fine" is all Sky tells her. "We didn't talk for long."

"Good." Ple blurts out then reels back, "I mean, good that he's doing well."

That night, it's Ple who tucks little Star in bed. While she's gone, Sky comes out of the shower wearing fresh clothes and rubbing a towel on his hair. He sits by their bed and sees his watch sitting on the side table.

Without much thought, he takes it and opens his drawer to keep it...except he pauses instantly when a handkerchief sitting in the corner of his drawer catches his eye.

"Prapai is leaving." Rain's words playback in his head. "...for good."

Sky shakes his head, catching himself wavering. But when he tries to ignore that neatly folded handkerchief that's collecting dust, just as he had for the past six years, he fails for the first time in a long time.

Sky sits there, staring at a half open drawer with the pearly white silk cloth peeking—taunting him.

He gives in, indulging himself while his wife is away.

He carefully takes it out and holds it in his trembling hands. He inwardly kicks himself for letting it get even just a little dirty. He sniffles, his eyes sheening with tears before he even realizes it.

"What the-" Sky mutters. How does it still have the same effect on him? After all these years?

He feels that same stabbing pain in his heart and it's eased ever so slightly when he holds the handkerchief against his chest, feeling as though he's holding him close again—feeling the warmth that came with it when Prapai gave it to him.

But then, he hears footsteps getting louder and fast approaching. Sky hurriedly wipes his face and puts the item in his chest pocket. He could've put it back in the drawer but he wanted to keep it close just for tonight.

He then goes back to drying his hair as if nothing happened but the sting lingering in his chest says otherwise.

"Sorry, I took so long." Ple says as she walks into the room. "Star wanted me to read him a bedtime story."

"It's fine; I was just turning in too."

Ple goes to her side of the bed, even fixing her hair before lying down in order to look as appealing as possible. She knows it's pointless but sometimes, she can't help but delude herself that if she tried hard enough, Sky would respond accordingly.