Stay

chapter 7

Alex knew something is going on with his wife. He can feel her when she stir and rise in the middle of the night. He would lay awake waiting for her to come back in bed. His gut is telling him that his wife knew of his indiscretion. She didn't say anything about it and she still does what she used to do around the house but he can feel her moving away from him. She does not touch him anymore like she used to do. He missed her caress when they go to bed together.

He would be thirty minutes or one hour in bed before she will join him. And usually, by that time he would be asleep. One night he waited for her. And when she finally joined him she kept herself to her side of the bed. So he pretended to move and cuddle her but she stiffened and so he moved away from her and he never attempted to do so after that.

Their bed had become cold. But in the morning everything would be back to normal. She would kiss him goodbye as she would always do as she also let his kids kiss him before he went out the door.

He wanted to talk to her and to assure her but he's afraid of the outcome. What if she will decide to divorce him? He wouldn't like that or would forbid it. He doesn't want to be away from his wife and kids.

He admits that he has done an unforgivable thing to her. And he hopes to God that she will just forgive him for that. It was a moment of weakness and one he would not do again.  He just hopes that whoever told his wife of his affair did not include incriminating pictures. But he was careful. They were careful.

He had ended his affair with Gwyneth. And he had also stopped doing the tutorial work with her father's tutorial class in the evening. It was one of those nights that their affair started. 

His student requested an extra hour from him so he can be prepared for the next day's exams. After the session he was surprised to see Gwyneth still around.  He helped her close the place and before he knew it he was locking lips with her and tugging his pants lose. It has gone on like that after his tutorial lessons until he decided that it was enough. But Gwyneth had other things planned. She promised not to collect his monetary debt if he will spend another time with him. It has to stop.

Despite the indiscretion she has become a good friend and he can sense that her need for him was due to her lack of self-esteem. What she needs is actually a psychologist not him. So they started talking and he avoids doing things that are sexual in nature.

One time Gwyneth had called him when once again she was in her low end. He was afraid that she will commit suicide and so he had asked her where she was staying. She had said that she is staying at the Buffalo inn. Her father has so many expectations from her and that they had fought again last night.

Fearing of the worst he went to her and had to console her. He often wondered why someone so beautiful as she can think so low of herself? But he was glad that he was able to convince her to get herself out of the melancholy that she was in.

And now it seems his wife is on the same path and he felt powerless to do anything about it.  Brooding about these things he passed by a newly opened garden shop. He noticed a beautiful flowering plant that he's sure his wife would be happy to collect. So he stopped by and purchased the plant.

When he arrived home his wife is not again at home. Nanna informed him that she is with Kenny. His temper almost rises to the surface. He often wondered what they do together. He didn't trust him.

Luckily Gwyneth called him for an unexpected tutorial booking. He was glad of the diversion and asked Nanna to take care of the kids while he is away.

As he left the house he realized that it has become less and less of a home for him. His wife is cold towards him and she is most often not in it.

Where are we going with our marriage? When would she open about what has been going on with her? He's afraid to confront her about her attitude towards him and of their marriage.