A child in exchange for his forgiveness

At sharp six o'clock on Wednesday, Jackson was ready to go for his morning jog. He hates to wake up early, especially in the middle of the week. But Jackson felt like his home was the last place he wanted to be, and a quick run would help clear his mind.

Jennie had been lying in bed awake the entire morning. She had been experiencing sleepless nights for five days now. Jackson had not interacted with her from Saturday to Tuesday, and now it was Wednesday. Jennie knew today wouldn't be any different. She heard the guest room door open, then shut. Jennie was hoping to hear a knock on her door, but when she overheard the front door slam, her desires shattered.

The light from the window shone into the room, and the wind blew the curtain open. Jennie put her bare feet on the cold floor and walked toward the window. When she looked outside, her heart ached as she watched Jackson smile with their neighbor before running toward the west wing of their community.

At that moment, there was nothing more painful for Jennie than seeing her husband's smile fade for her but shine for another. Jennie wished that everything could go back to normal, but her heart knew that once you break something, no matter how much you mend it, it will never be the same.

Jennie slowly slid down to the floor. 'How did we get here? How did it become this bad? Ah! I know the answer to that question. All this started when I went against his word and disobeyed him.' Jennie thought as she bitterly sobs, knowing that she only had herself to blame for this mess.

An hour later, Jackson returned home and met Jennie seated in the dining room, eating breakfast. He walked past her and got himself a bowl, a cart of milk, a spoon, and the cereal box.

"Good morning," Jennie whispered as Jackson took his seat. However, she did not get a response from her husband.

The dining room felt rejected as the sun glowed through its window and reflected its lights on Jennie and Jackson's faces. The sound that the spoon made when it entered the bowl was the only noise that echoed in the room as Jennie and her husband ate breakfast on a Wednesday morning.

"It's been days since we had that argument, and you have not said a word to me. You have been sleeping in the guest room for five days now. Don't you feel lonely? Because I do feel alone laying on a bed without you next to me." Jennie cried. She could not endure the silence anymore. It was killing her to see him sitting next to her. Yet he's so far from her reach.

Jackson sat opposite her and kept his eyes focused on his breakfast. Jennie watches him ignore her and add more milk to his cereal. Jackson seemed ice-cold this morning. Absolutely no emotion got shown by him. He would look at her, but his eyes had no soul.

"One year, please give me one year." Jennie pleads with Jackson. His cold shoulder was hard for her to handle. She wanted her husband back and couldn't stand the sight of the man sitting across from her this morning.

"One year for what?" Jackson asked. He did not remove his sights from the cereal bowl.

"After one year from now, I will quit my job so we can start a family. Your project will begin this year, and by next year it will be fully mature. At that time, I swear to you, I will resign from my job for us to have a baby!" she said with tears rolling down her cheek.

The spoon in Jackson's hand dropped into the bowl. He lifted his head, and his eyes were different. They were full of joy. He could not remember what he was mad about now. All that was playing in Jackson's head was the fact that Jennie and he would have a kid by next year.

"Are you serious?" Jackson breathlessly asked.

Jennie nodded her head. She could tell that her plan to give him what he craved to make him forget what she had done was a success.

Jackson rushed out of his chair and took Jennie in his arms. "I love you! I love you! I love you so much." He screamed, kissing her everywhere on the face.

Jennie laughed out loud as he held her tight and spun her around the room. At that instant, Jennie felt at peace and safe for now. She knew that within a year, she could correct her wrongs and start fresh with her husband.

Jennie plans to cover up her guilt, then forget them, and create a new chapter with Jackson. She did not feel the need to tell Jackson the truth. What Jennie really wanted was to have enough time to bury the truth and make sure he never finds out.

The couple's emotional moment got disrupted when Jennie's iPhone rang, and Jackson frowned. Although he was happy that his wife finally allowed his will to prevail in their marriage, Jackson had uncertainty that their marriage could get stable again since there were so many things that felt off about his wife.

I need to answer that call. It could be urgent." Jennie tensely said.

Jackson gently released her and replied, "fine! You can answer your call."

Jennie rushed toward the table and grabbed the phone. She then answered the call and placed the phone to her ear.

"Hello!" Jennie harshly said. Her tone was a bit rude to the person on the call.

Jackson could not understand what they were discussing, but it seemed very important because Jennie had this worried face on when she told the person to book her a flight immediately. That she will be on her way right at this minute.

"Honey, I am sorry, but I have to leave right now. I mistakenly brought home the JFC company files, and now I need to get it to our company in England. My boss and the CEO of JFC company are waiting on me to get the document to them." she explains.

Jackson could not tell if this was another lie or the truth. But since Jennie seemed anxious, Jackson granted her the benefit of the doubt and assumed that she was truthful this time.