Shattered

13. The Homecoming

First time in more than two years, Alec was looking forward to be home again. After Melissa's death, he never liked going back to the place that held their memories. He still remembered how he loved coming home back when Melissa was around. No matter how busy she would be, every time he would come back to the city, she would make him dinner, their favourite, spaghetti Bolognese served with a red wine from their collection. The table used to be set with fragrant candles and the moment he would enter the house, she would run and jump into his arms.

He knew this time he won't get spaghetti or the wine. Beth wouldn't jump into his arms, nor there would be any welcome surprise, to be honest he wasn't even sure if Beth would be at home. He hadn't spoken to her much during his trip. For past two days, she hadn't even attended the phone.
He wanted to meet her, wait for her if she wasn't home but he wanted to spend time with his wife.

So when Roger parked the car outside the apartment building, he rushed towards the lift and pressed the button a little too many times. When the lift arrived, Alec entered along with Roger who was carrying the bags. It was first time in years when Roger saw Alec fidgeting.

When they finally reached the floor, Alec quickly pulled out the keys and unlocked the door. Just before opening the door though, he straightened his jacket and then stepped into the apartment.

"Beth?" He called out from the empty foyer. "Mrs. Norris? Anyone home?" He called out again as he crossed the foyer to enter the living room. "Beth-" He called out again but stopped at his tracks. So did Roger.

A figure was fast asleep on the couch wearing only an oversized grey t shirt. A plate with bread crumbs was lying on the coffee table and the laptop was lying on the floor. It was two in the afternoon and Alec had not expected to find Beth like this. Half of her body was hanging down from the sofa, almost touching the ground and her mouth open as she slept oblivious of his presence.
Alec kneeled beside her and spoke softly. "Beth, honey?"

When he looked around, he found Roger had quietly kept the bags in the hall and left.

Alec gently touched his wife's face. "Beth?" She blinked a little as she tried to focus on his face. "Hey."

"Hey." She replied, still trying to open her exhausted eyelids.

"Good morning or shall I say good afternoon?" He gave her an amused look. She looked at him sleepily again before realising he was kneeling in front of her. With a shriek, she sat up, tugging her t shirt down.

•

Beth woke up shrieking and crawling away from the face that was now rolling on the floor, laughing his guts out. "What are you doing here?" She screamed again. Her hands were constantly tugging her t shirt down which was barely hiding her cotton panties.

"Beth this is my home too." He spoke as he continued laughing.

"Yeah but you could have rung the bell at least." She continued speaking in a shrill tone.

"I called for you and Mrs. Norris. Where is she anyway?" He said wiping a few tears from his eyes.

" I gave her a day off. But-"

"But my dear Beth, you were fast asleep, until now." He sat up by the couch on the floor. "My god your face, it looks like as if you saw a ghost."

"Of course I did! You were supposed to come on Sunday!"

"Honey it is Sunday. Honestly, which world are you living in?"

It was true, Beth wasn't living in this world. She had been sucked into her past and was still trying to find her way back.

Though Beth had been busy that weekend, when she finished her work, she found herself getting engrossed by nostalgia. It was like a wave that hit her and it hit her pretty bad. She couldn't understand why it was triggered, maybe the fact that in a long time, she was alone without presence of Alec in her life. She had gotten used seeing Alec around. And with him being out of city, she found herself being dragged into her old life and with that old life, came a familiar wave of nostalgia.