Chapter 94 A moment

KIA

I immediately took a taxi to head home when my conversation with my stepmother ended. I don’t know what to feel in this kind of situation. I don’t know if I should believe her in everything she said to me earlier. They always make me dumb with their plans, and now my mind is debating whether I should believe them or not. But he is my dad… I can’t just give up on him. I know he was just being like that because of my evil stepmother and stepsister. When mom was still alive, he wasn’t like that. He loves us and I know it… Maybe I should ask Ares later to visit my parents…

After staring into nothing for I don’t know how long, I finally arrived home.

“Hon?” I said while I was looking for him.

I looked for him first in the kitchen, since that was his favorite place, but then he wasn’t there. I placed all the groceries that I bought on the table, then went to the bedroom to check if he was there, but he was nowhere to be seen. Where is he? — I grabbed my phone from my pocket while I was looking for something to wear in our cabinet. It’s been ringing for a while now, but no one is answering. After several tries, I gave up and dropped my phone on the bed. I went to the bathroom without grabbing my phone from the bed.

I guess he is really that busy today... But what if he is just with a girl? What if he ended up liking that assistant? Is he just making an excuse to be late?

Argh!

Stop it, Kianna! Overthinking won’t help your situation right now… I guess I really just need to trust him then…

I think practically anything can be cured in the bathtub. It is quiet and calming, ideal for days when you want to separate yourself from the outside world and wrap up in your own personal cocoon. Or on those evenings when it rains and you want to relax in hot water while hearing the raindrops hit the ceiling. I start to relax as I sit in the comforting, warm water. The bubbles sparkle in the candlelight since the room is so dark.

Sudden fatigue overtakes me as I start to get warm. The aroma of the bubble bath started to permeate the room as I reclined my head and fell asleep. I feel like I'm in my incubator at this point and don't want to get out because everything has been lifted. Slow music can be heard in the background whenever I'm in the shower.

I believe it originated in my imagination because I don't recall turning on the CD in the living room before going into the bathroom. My serene surroundings also include the faint sound of bubbles popping. The quite loud and grating sound of the jets will occasionally accompa­ny my music, but it won't last for very long due to how disturbingly loud it is. I nearly think I can hear the lights burned as if angels were singing to God while I reclined with my eyes closed. Aside from the sporadic jet, all the sounds I hear in the bathtub add to my calm, quiet state of mind.

I start to smell the freshness of the bubble bath as I close my eyes and listen to my music. The fragrant oil has now transformed into lovely scent-filled bubbles. The candles that are lit all around my bathtub give off the scent of roses and cinnamon as well. These various scents blend to create the most lovely, tranquil aroma.

I don't remember how long I was here, but after I was done and left, I could still hear the music from the DVD. That proves that the music before wasn't created in my head. It was played by someone. Who was it then? Inquiring as to whether Ares was already present, I turned it off.

“Hon? Why did you turn it off?” a voice came from the kitchen.

A moment later, I saw him walking toward me while carrying a glass of milk. “Why didn’t you tell me you were already here? I was calling you earlier. Why didn’t you answer?”

“I’m sorry, hon. There is an emergency at my mom’s house. Dad has high blood pressure, but the doctor said he is now stable and we just need to encourage him to eat a healthy diet and keep a healthy weight. The doctor said that the cause of it was a high level of stress,” Ares said as he scratched his head.

“Is that so? You should have told me earlier so that I went there with you and brought them some fruit.”

“Really? Do you want to go and meet them?" he asked curiously.

He looks like I didn’t want to meet his parents before. “Of course... I would love to meet them if we are being serious with our relationship right now and not just because of an agreement that we did… Are you serious about this relationship? Do you really like me, Ares?”

“I didn’t like you, Kianna…”

“Heh— I didn’t expect that answer coming from you… Ha-ha-ha I thought—”

“I didn’t like you because I love you, Kianna Myst. You didn’t let me finish my sentence. My intentions are pure and someday I will be able to come clean to you. I hope you will still love me if you know the truth about me, Kianna…” he said as he lowered his head.

“Does the truth include that you have another woman in your heart—”

“What?! No! I would never do that to you, hon. I said that my intention was pure and that means you were the only woman in my…” he suddenly grabs my hand and puts it in his head. “In my mind, in my heart, and in my soul. Ease your worries because you are the only one for me. I will never let any woman steal me from you.”

“So you were telling me that someone was stealing you from me, hah?” I said as I raised my eyebrows and narrowed my eyes.

“Well… Hon, you married a handsome man like me. You should know that from the beginning — Ouch! Stop! I am just kidding!” he said when I suddenly punched him in the arm and chased him as he ran for his precious life. After running around for several minutes, he suddenly stopped and grabbed me by the arm. He hugged me so tight. A feeling that I would want time to stop so that I could relish this moment for eternity. It brings me a tremendous amount of satisfaction. No other thoughts matter. I just want to feel his embrace. This hug gives me so much relief... For me, his arms were a place where I could be myself, and there was no fear. Whatever emotions I might be experiencing right now... When he suddenly hugged me… All I could feel was calm…