Should I still go sleep with him tonight?

Was I overthinking things? Or had they already... finished? I didn't wake the two of them from their sleep; my mind was filled with numerous questions.

I gently closed the door, but not completely. Like before, I left a small gap. Then, I slowly walked to the sofa in the living room.

From this spot, I could clearly see Michael's door. Although there was no light, and I couldn't see inside, I could clearly hear any sounds coming from there.

It wasn't that I wanted to spy on them, but at this moment, I was completely sleepless, left only with countless wild thoughts and a hint of jealousy.

After all, Betty was my one and only wife, and she had always been my only one. Now, to think of her sleeping in the same bed with a boy in his teens was hardly comforting.

I lit a cigarette and started smoking on the sofa. Glancing at the time, I realized it was already 4 a.m.

I really wanted to wake Betty up, but I was afraid of disturbing the kid. How should I approach Betty about this? My brain started to whirl with thoughts. I don't know how long it was before I drifted off into a fitful sleep... I'm not sure how long I slept, but I felt something being placed over me, and then I heard noises coming from the kitchen.

Blearily opening my eyes, I saw it was already 6:30 a.m., and I had fallen asleep on the sofa, covered with a blanket. Betty was in the kitchen making breakfast.

"I'll talk to you tonight..." Betty mouthed silently after seeing me wake up, pointing subtly towards Michael's room. Although she used lip-reading, I understood her.

I just nodded slightly. Seeing my reaction, Betty knew I might be feeling upset and could only give a wry smile.

After breakfast, I went off to work, the anger and jealousy gnawing at me all day. It was a struggle to get through the day, and usually, I'd rush home after work, but this time, I thought about avoiding it.

When I got home, everything seemed normal, except Michael seemed more spirited with each passing day. After dinner, I went to the bedroom first and lay down, covering myself with the blanket.

Soon, I heard Betty enter the room. She must have finished tidying up. She might have sensed something was off because I hadn't touched my iPad tonight, and I had been unusually quiet at the dinner table.

I felt Betty get into bed and lie down next to me, all without a sound, as if she had fallen asleep too. I found it strange and stealthily lifted a corner of the blanket, only to meet Betty's sly gaze and smiling face.

"Giggle..." Betty covered her mouth and laughed, her body shaking with laughter, her ample chest heaving with each chuckle.

Seeing her so happy made me even more upset. I simply pulled the blanket back over myself, wrapping myself up tightly.

"Alright, honey, no need to be jealous... let your wife explain..." Betty tugged at the blanket, trying to pull it off my head while speaking.

But I didn't respond, just held onto the blanket tightly. Betty struggled for a while but couldn't pull the blanket off my head. She knew my childish temper was flaring up again.

I can be broad-minded at times, like an old sage, but when I get upset, I'm just like a child.

"Honey, are you overthinking things? This morning when I saw you asleep on the couch and Michael's door open, I knew you must have found out I was in Michael's room last night, and you got jealous, right? "

"But let's not forget, Michael is our son, and there's nothing wrong with a mom spending time with her son. Do you think I've been neglecting you? "

"Don't worry, my love for Michael is just maternal, and my heart will always belong to you." Betty whispered close to my head, her words clear even through the blanket.

Hearing this, although I still felt a twinge of jealousy, it melted away significantly.

"Actually, I fell asleep in Michael's room last night for your sake," Betty continued, coaxing me like one would soothe a child.

"These past few days, Michael has been having nightmares every night, waking up distressed, which disrupts your sleep. You work so hard and are under so much stress, and I know how much you value your sleep and how grumpy you can be when you wake up. "

"So, I decided to stay with Michael last night. As long as I'm with him, he doesn't have nightmares, at least he doesn't scream out. He's been feeling very vulnerable and scared lately, and besides his parents, I'm the person he's most familiar with. Whether at school or at home, he almost always sees me, so I'm basically his only support right now. "

"That's why when I'm with him, he can sleep peacefully. And it worked—last night he slept through till morning without any nightmares or waking up startled. I thought you'd get a good night's sleep, but it turns out you didn't, and the reason is... giggle..." Betty explained at length, and I listened intently. Her reasoning seemed sound, and as a counselor, she seemed to have her methods of psychological guidance.

And even if my worries were to come true, they certainly wouldn't happen while I was at home, right?

"So, are you planning to keep sleeping with him?" After hearing Betty's explanation, although I felt much better, it didn't mean I was ready to accept her sleeping with our son indefinitely. I pulled my head out from under the blanket and asked.

Betty didn't answer immediately. Instead, seeing my face, a flicker of sympathy crossed her expression. She gently wiped my face with her hand, and that's when I realized that I had been sweating profusely under the blanket.

"I'll do as my husband wishes; if you don't want me to go, I won't go anymore... Actually, I've done so much for Michael, for you, my husband. You brought this child home, and I've tried my best to play the role of a mother, to not make things difficult for you, to bring you comfort and warmth. "

"Maybe I was too enthusiastic, to the point where it made you uncomfortable. I won't do it anymore..." Betty wiped the sweat from my brow and buried her head in my chest, murmuring with a hint of grievance in her tone.

Yes, I was the one who brought the child home, and I wanted to adopt him. Betty never objected to anything; instead, she treated the child as if he were her own, all to please me, to cooperate with me, to give me peace of mind. Now, here I was, picking faults, making things difficult for Betty.

No wonder she felt aggrieved.

"Alright, my wife, I was wrong. You're right, I should be thanking you, not getting jealous over nothing. It's just that with the child here, it feels like your love is divided, and I'm not quite used to that..." I gently patted Betty's back.

"Don't worry, my husband. You are my husband, and he is my son. Both of you are very important to me, and your positions and my feelings for you are different. Besides, if you're really ready to accept him as our son, that's a lifelong commitment. "

"Of course, we should treat him well. He's just lost his father and has just come to our home; he needs care more than ever. "

"For now, please bear with it a little. I need to give him all my care to help him adjust and get back to a normal life and studies..." Betty lifted her head and spoke gently and sweetly.

"Okay..." Talking it out made me feel much relieved.

"So... husband... should I still go sleep with him tonight? I'll listen to you..." At that moment, Betty checked the time, then cautiously asked me, seeking my opinion and decision...