Lorraine comes over once and pretends to be gracious as she asks how we’re doing and offers assistance in the most condescending way possible.
Aria doesn’t say a word, and whenever I glance in her direction, she cuts her gaze away quickly to pretend she hasn’t been watching.
I’m not sure what I would have expected, but it’s obvious they’ll never change. There’s no satisfaction or vindication I can ever really get in regard to them.
It’s enough that I managed to escape and that they didn’t get what they wanted from Mason. Or from me.
I packed sandwiches for lunch, and the day passes quickly. Before I know it, we’re on our way home.
Bill is waiting for us, eager first for his dinner and then for some ball throwing. He still does his own thing most of the day, roaming through the surrounding area and investigating every inch of the farm. But as each day passes, he wants a little more time with us, and his growing affection makes me glad.
Mason throws his ball while I make dinner, and then I sit on the porch steps and talk to and pet him while Mason does his evening chores.
Mason still isn’t in his normal mood. I’m not quite sure what the problem is since I believe him when he says he’s not annoyed with me. But when it’s dark, he doesn’t sit in the living room with me like normal.
He says he’s tired and goes to his bedroom, closing the door behind him before I can ask him again if anything is wrong.
The next morning he’s up early again. Very early. It’s still pitch-black when I hear the sounds of him in the bathroom, washing up and getting dressed.
I lie in bed for a few minutes, frowning up at the ceiling and wondering if he’ll ever tell me.
After a while, I’ve imagined so many possible scenarios that I have no choice but to get up and dressed too.
Bill is hanging around the porch when I walk outside, and he snuffles around me like he’s anxious about something. I pet and soothe him softly, but I don’t see a light in the barn. It’s odd.
Where could Mason be? What is he doing?
I go to the barn with Bill at my heels. No Mason.
I check the chicken coop, but there’s no one there but the chickens.
Bill and I are walking around to the far side of the barn to check the pasture when Mason suddenly appears in front of me.
It’s so unexpected that I jump.
“Shit!” he exclaims, obviously just as surprised as I am. “Whatcha doing out here so early?”
“I just woke up.” It feels like I’ve done something wrong, but I haven’t. I know I haven’t. “So I decided to get up. But then I couldn’t find you. What were you doing back there?”
“Nothing. Why were you looking for me?”
I stare at him, surprised and rather annoyed by his grumpy tone. “Because I didn’t know where you were. Is everything all right?”
“Yes. How many times do I got to tell you that?”
I have to bite back my instinctive response, which is to snap his head off.
I’m not a fool. Something is going on with him.
But pushing further might make him angry, and I don’t want him to be mad at me.
I don’t want him to regret taking me as his wife.
“Okay. Sorry if I startled you. I was just confused.” I pitch my tone as conciliatory as I can. “Should we just get started on the chores since we’re both up?”
The day progresses without any conflict because I bite back any response that would lead to it. And Mason appears to be trying to contain his grumpiness, but it’s not an entirely successful attempt.
It’s frustrating. It’s getting in the way of my enjoyment of my new life. But there’s no way for me to fix it, so the next morning I decide it’s time to do some errands.
