“I was afraid of what you would do,” she said quietly as though she was afraid to say the words, or maybe afraid of my reaction. Or both. “I figured that Travis would have told you sooner though. He had to know that I needed my husband to be here to help soothe my worries and stress.”
“He didn’t tell me anything until he was on the way back home,” I answered. “He was at least half way back by the time he called.”
“He almost didn’t go back,” she stated. “But I knew he missed Kenna and needed to go back eventually. I told him I could handle this on my own. And I want to think that I am.”
“It looks like you are a pro to me,” I shrugged.
“I’m doing the best that I can,” she stated. “It’s not as easy as it looks. But I didn’t expect it to be all that easy. The lack of sleep isn’t the most exciting thing to deal with.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I had nothing to say, since I didn’t even know the first thing about parenting. The lack of sleep, that I could relate to.
“So, how long do you plan to stay?” she asked after a thick silent moment.
“I’m not sure,” I answered. What I didn’t say was that I’d be here until I won her heart back. I’d do whatever I had to do to prove it. To prove that I wanted her. To prove that I still loved her more than anything else. She was my life.
“Okay,” she said on a sigh of defeat.
Was she upset I may not stay long, or was she upset because I may never leave?
“I’ll stay as long as you’d like me to,” I whispered, looking at her. Although she didn’t look at me, my eyes begged her to understand that I wouldn’t leave her until she asked me to.
“I’m sure you have things that you need to do,” she said, refusing to meet my eyes.
“You are more important right now,” I said. “Anything that I left behind can wait.”
“I’m no one,” she said on a sniff.
“You are Avidya Melendez,” I said after scooting over right beside her. “You are my wife. You are a mother, and you are part of a huge family that will do anything to make you happy.”
She simply gave me a watery smile before leaning her head against my shoulder.
“I’m just Avidya.” The muttered words went straight to my heart.
She was so much more, and it would be just one more thing I’d prove to her.
