"I was heading to the kitchen for some water," he offered awkwardly.
"Me too."
They turned into the kitchen and he dutifully grabbed a bottle from the fridge, deciding to make them hot chocolate instead.
"Have you told Miranda?"
"Yes," Trinity answered. "It was not a great scene, and definitely not my best moment as a mom."
"Kids are resilient right? She’ll calm down soon enough." He made sure to keep his tone light, his manner calm as if it didn't mean anything.
On the contrary, it meant the world and to pretend otherwise cost him…It cost him so much, but he hoped that his easy manner would make her relax, and take the tension away from her suddenly skittish form.
The electric kettle suddenly stopped with a small click and she removed it, and she poured the water in the two waiting mugs before turning to face him for the first time since they entered the room.
"Right," she responded as she put a few scoops of chocolate powder into the cups.
?TRINITY?
Trinity had never been in this position before, and she wondered if there was a rule book, or some sort of manual to help guide her. She had never been on the end of the glares of her daughter, ever. It was usually the two of them against the world.
Now, Miranda barely said a word to her, and Michael had been overly polite.
He didn't hesitate to go straight to the point, enunciating every word clearly but only if the question couldn't be answered in monosyllables.
He responded to everything in monosyllables and a low tone while wearing that imposing expression she had come to despise.
That was a few days ago — now he just reverted to the man she had married in the beginning, the one that left for work early and came back late at night. Miranda was bound to be fast asleep by then and Trinity couldn't dare his company, not alone. The late nights had soured Miranda's moods further, until she was not speaking to Trinity who couldn't help but feel guilty
She had changed everything, and she understood that her baby was sad, but it would only be for a little while.
What she could not understand was Michael's surliness to her… They were both getting what they wanted from their arrangement.
They never planned on forever — she even had the fancy paper to prove it. It was a business arrangement, even though she wished it was different. He had saved them and in return got the company he always wanted. Why was he suddenly so cold when she could remember the passion that burned so hot between the two of them?
Maybe their tension had just been on her side. Maybe he had only taken advantage of their proximity, and now that their closeness was gone, he was moving on.
Maybe it meant nothing, and just a quenching of physical thirst on his part.
But it meant everything to her, every gesture, every touch. All of it.
She knew she couldn't stay and allow herself to be suckered into another relationship that was not emotionally complete.
She couldn't do it again. Not with him.
It would break her and this time the fallout would be worse.
The thoughts drove her to seek a sort of sanctuary in the kitchen, only to find herself wilting under the regard of the older woman who looked at her with faint disapproval after Trinity told her story.
"I understand why you want to go but, I can't help but disagree with you," Celia finally answered.
What do you know? She wanted to scream out in frustration but settled for a morose, “I can't stay here."
She had thought the silence was a thing that would soon fade away, but it didn’t. It only deepened her sense of guilt and regret.
Those feelings were normal, in regard to her daughter. But to Michael too? Sure, she loved him, but she was not about to allow herself to stay when she knew she was not needed nor wanted.
"Don't think I can't see what you are doing," Celia’s voice filled the room and Trinity was happy the two of them were alone in the expanse.
