A Secret From the Past

After a while, June entered the hospital room with lunch and discovered Sushi dozing off. He sat quietly by her side without waking up to tend to her needs.

"Why does looking at you hurt my heart so much? Have I developed feelings for you? I have no idea what's going on with me. He's looking at her, thinking, "Do you really leave me?"

Sushi gently opened her eyes and saw June's hand in her hair as he was making adjustments and coming dangerously close to touching it. She jumped a little and sat down, forcing him to take off his hand.

"I bought you some food because I assumed you hadn't eaten since yesterday. June arranged a food platter on the hospital bed and said, "Please have some."

"Um, I'm grateful, "Have you eaten?" she questioned, taking a chunk out of the bread.

"Yes, I did. So, how do you feel right now?" June inquired.

She answered, "I'm fine, just feeling a little lightheaded."

"You want to stay here for one more day or do you want to go home?" , he asked.

"Let's head back home. I feel sicker at the hospital. I don't have many happy times spent here," she said.

There was a strange silence between them as June hesitated to discuss what had previously occurred.

"Should I question her about her mother's situation? And who's this mom, anyway? If I inquire, will she fall into depression again? He is thinking to himself, "Let's not do that now."

After a while, June handled her discharge and opened the door for her as he was departing. He then carefully entered the car and approached her to belt her up. Sushi was a little taken aback by his attention. 

"Does he feel sorry towards me, is that why he is showing concern?" , she thought.

June proceeded to drive home slowly, and after a while, sushi started to fall asleep. When June noticed this, he gently pulled the car over, adjusted the seat so she could sleep properly, and put his coat over her to keep her warm. Sushi fell asleep soundly without even flinching.

By the time they got home, it is getting dark, but Sushi is still sleeping.

Is it OK for me to wake her up? "Are the medications too potent for her, since she has been dozing off all day?" he wondered as he observed.

After a few minutes, he stepped out of the car and opened the door. With great care, he lifted her into his arms, ensuring not to disturb her slumber, and carried her inside their home. As he ascended the stairs, Sushi stirred slightly.

"Where am I? What is this sound? Is it a heartbeat?" she murmured, lifting her face to see June carrying her. Instantly, she closed her eyes, feigning unconsciousness.

"What's happening? Is June carrying me? Has he forgiven me? I want to ask him, but why can't I speak? I don't have the energy to come to my senses. No, don't fall asleep again, no..." Her thoughts trailed off as she drifted back into unconsciousness.

The next morning, Sushi slowly opened her eyes, the events of the previous night gradually coming back to her. She blinked away the sleepiness and found herself in his bed, with June sleeping peacefully beside her. His arm was draped gently over her waist, pulling her close as if he was cuddling her in his sleep.

A soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she watched him, a warmth spreading through her heart. Despite everything, seeing him beside her filled her with a sense of comfort and belonging she hadn't felt in a long time.

Careful not to wake him, Sushi gently shifted to snuggle closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, savoring the quiet intimacy of the moment, grateful to have him by her side once again.

As they both opened their eyes simultaneously, their gazes met, locking in a moment of shared awareness. In that instant, they both realized the closeness of their position and the implications it held.

Without a word, they instinctively moved apart, putting a polite distance between them to dispel any hint of awkwardness. Each of them silently acknowledging the unspoken boundaries between them, they exchanged a brief, yet meaningful glance before redirecting their attention elsewhere, focusing on the morning sunlight streaming through the window, willing the moment to pass without further tension.

"You were pacing and muttering something at night, so I was at your side to soothe you". To prevent further embarrassment, he hastily got up and went towards the lavatory. "But I didn't know when I slept," he said.

With a smile on her face and a spark of excitement in her eyes, Sushi rose from the bed and made her way to her room. Meanwhile, June headed to the restroom, unaware of the anticipation that filled the air.

After freshening up and getting ready, Sushi descended the stairs to find June in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Their eyes met, and a momentary hesitation flickered across Sushi's face, as if she was about to speak, while June appeared dressed in his usual attire.

"Are you going to the office?" June inquired.

"Yes, aren't you today?" Sushi responded.

"No, you don't need to go today. I've already given you the day off. Come, have breakfast. You can rest afterward," June insisted.

But Sushi didn't heed his words. "No, I have a lot of work," she insisted, moving to leave.

Frustration flaring, June raised his voice. "You wanted me to behave like your husband, now I'm behaving as one. Why won't you listen?" he shouted, his words heavy with emotion.

Surprised by June's sudden outburst, Sushi stood frozen, her gaze locked on him. Sensing her hesitation, June approached her and gently took her hand, leading her to the dining chair. Once she was seated, he moved to the kitchen counter and began to serve breakfast for both of them, his actions speaking louder than words.

As he set the plates down before her, a sense of tenderness softened his features, his eyes meeting hers with an unspoken apology. Sushi felt a mixture of emotions swirling within her, but amidst it all, she couldn't deny the warmth in June's gesture.

With a grateful smile, she picked up her fork and began to eat, the tension of the moment slowly dissipating with each bite.

"Why are you doing this?", she asked.

"What?", he replied.

She looked into his eyes and said, "I mean, you are nicer to me from yesterday compared to since our marriage."

With a shift in his focus, he moved his fork across the plate and said, "Sushi, I apologize for my inebriation and the stupid things I said." Those are truly intoxicated words that I didn't mean to say. He said, "I hope you can forgive me."

"He is comforting himself over what I did yesterday. He is acting more kindly toward me because of it," she reasoned.

"Why do you apologize? Don't treat me nicely. Do you still remember that I betrayed you? Why you feel bad for other people because of their errors. There is nothing to do with you in what I did yesterday. With tears in her eyes, she yelled, "Stop blaming yourself."

"No, Sushi, I shouldn't have said—" June began, but Sushi cut him off.

"When will you make a change? Will you ever get over blaming yourself? This is who you have always been, even as a young child. Tears filled her eyes as she added, "You never did anything to harm me, not even when you pushed me from the first floor yesterday."

"I fell down because of my own inability to handle myself," she said, her voice rising. That time, you didn't press me. And for yesterday, I wanted to die because of something else, not because of your words."

She stood up fast and walked out of the home.

June sat there thinking, with a startled expression, "pushed you? At what point did I? I pushed Chloe when I was younger."