Love Letter Written in Winter

Before Truth

-‘Are you busy with some work?’ I asked. Drake was busy scribbling something with a pencil on a piece of paper.
-‘Yeah, Lucy… I will sleep later. Don’t wait for me… I’ll be late,’ Drake replied without even lifting his head up. He was so concentrated on that scribble.
I didn’t say much. I just left, but for some unknown reason, I was not getting sleep. He had started staying up late for a few months. His behavior had changed a lot in recent times. He mostly stayed like he was drunk, barely talking with us, and kept reading some books, a poetry book it seems. I knew he was a poetry-freak in his teenage days. He used to be engrossed in En Michelles' book at that time. That was years ago. I understand it was the madness of that age, overflowing adrenaline. But he had stopped that long back. Now his clerical job, weekly grocery shopping, and going to the park with kids on weekends were his life. I didn’t know how he regained his old hobby out of nowhere. What must have ignited his old passion? Just like that or some new author’s writing or something else. I thought a lot. But I didn’t have an answer, so I left the thought. The whole week, I saw him doing some scribbles on that paper and sometimes reading some book. I was really curious. I felt like I was missing out on something. I wanted to know what it was.
One day, I took a glance at his sketch stealthily. It was a sketch of some lady, who must be extremely beautiful. The sketch wasn’t fully completed. A part of the face was still left. But just her eyes were enough to catch attention. I tried to think maybe that was me in his eyes. But in the sketch, the lady had wavy hair till the waist, but my straight hair came only till the shoulder. That couldn’t be me. But if not me, then whom? Some author whose book he was reading? Or maybe someone who had reignited his passion? Thinking of the second made me feel very uncomfortable. I didn’t quite like it, him making a sketch of some other woman. So I tried to console myself, thinking maybe it’s me in his imagination.
But why did he always try to hide the sketch? Whenever I or the kids were around, he tried to hide the paper or leave the place along with that book and paper. I thought maybe he was going to surprise me as our anniversary was close. So, maybe he was taking all those efforts. Awww!! How cute! The thought made me feel very happy.