Back to square one

"You don't have to explain yourself. I may not understand what you are enduring, but that does not give me the right to judge." Jackson stated as he and Jennie stood by the window watching the rising sun.

Jennie's eye caught her and Jackson's wedding photo in a frame on the table, and her heart broke. "But babe, I need to..." Jennie replied while she remained in her husband's embrace.

Jackson strokes her hair, "Shhhh... You don't have to if you don't want to. You know what?" He responded with a sparkle in his eyes. Jennie took one glimpse at his bright eyes and sobbed louder.

"Come on, babe. Try to focus, please. I am working my best here. Okay, I need you to reply to the question." Jackson pleaded.

"What?" Jennie answered, sniffing, and wiping her nose. Jackson lifted her in the air. She crosses her legs around his waist and tightens her hands around his neck.

He and Jennie were facing each other now. The twinkle in her husband's eyes was similar to the way he gazed at her the first night after their wedding day, and Jennie could not help smiling at the silly face he was making to cheer her up.

"I am taking the day off work to spend time with you. No devices, distraction, nor problem to seize our attention. Only you plus me under the blue sky in a big country. Wherever you want to explore, I will accompany you. Let's go out, enjoy life, and have fun. What do you think?" Jackson replied.

"I love it?" She said excitedly.

"You do?" He asked, smiling like a warm puppy.

"Yes, yes, I do!" Jennie screams with joy.

Jackson spins her around the room. His firm hands supported her back.

"Okay, hubby. I think this is my limit. I will barf if you keep spinning me." Jennie warned him.

Jackson giggles and gently brings his wife down.

She tried to escape his grip, "Hubby, let go. I have to take a bath. I am all sweaty." She pleaded, but Jackson kept Jennie in his arms and did not release her.

"You are wrong. We both have to take a shower." He said, kissing her on the lips and pulling her toward the bathroom.

"Are you kidding me?" She asked.

"Nope, I am serious. Plus, we are married, what are you afraid of?" Jackson questioned her.

Jennie's ears turned red, and she began to blush. "Wait, are you shy? Wow, my wife is so cute." Jackson teased Jennie when he saw how red her face seemed.

He squeezed her hand. She did not sense pain, no matter how tight his grip was. Instead, Jennie felt compassion. His coffee-colored hands felt so warm and comforting. "Believe me, hubby. I will strive every day to be a better man who deserves you. So don't worry or be sad anymore. Because if you are sad, then I will be devastated, okay?" He said.

Jennie rubbed her hand through Jackson's curly brownish hair. Later, her fingertips smoothly brushed against his eyelashes, down his nose, and unto his lips. "Okay." She answered.

"Beep..." Joe overheard the gate bell ringing as doctor Benson inserted the drip into Steven's vein. He races out of the room and into the security quarters. Steven may be a man who hangs out and parties a lot. Nevertheless, there were very few people he permitted to get close enough to visit his home. So when Joe saw Julie at the gate through the video recording on the security camera, he was not alarmed.

"You may come in, Julie," Joe said into the microphone and pressed a button to allow the gate to open on its own. Julie enters and approaches the front door. She was about to ring the bell when Joe opened the door.

"Hello, Julie." He said.

"Good morning, Joe." She replied.

Joe could recognize that Julie was anxious about Steven because she avoided eye contact with him. Plus, Julie keeps tapping her fingers on her thigh.

"I will take you to see sir now. Right this way, Julie." Joe stated.

Julie walked calmly behind him. She had all these worries in her mind, but she prayed that Steven would turn out better than her imagination.

They arrived at the door, and Joe opened it. Julie stares at Steven resting peacefully in his bed, and she takes a deep breath.

"I can see from your expression that you are concerned about him. However, don't be scared. He's not in any danger. Steven simply caught a nasty cold. He will be fine after an hour of rest." Dr. Benson said.

He approached Joe and whispered. "Let's give these kids some privacy." Joe nodded his head and followed Doc out of the room.

Julie sat on Steven's bed and placed her hand over his. "I am sorry about last night. I know that my behavior seems petite and childish. I never want to feel that pathetic again. Yet, you wake up these emotions in me that I have tried for years to ignore. Somehow you make me remember how it feels to be in love. All the details, even a petty emotion like having butterflies in my stomach, I undergo. But I hated it all before you came into my life. Now, I can't help but love them." Julie said as she gazed at Steven's sleeping face.

A few minutes passed by, Steven's phone on his desk started ringing. It buzzed continually as the noise woke Julie from the brief nap she took alongside Steven. Julie tried to cancel the call so that the sound could not wake Steven up. However, the name that appeared on the screen was a name she recognized clearly in her memory. "Chloe" flashes on the phone. Seeing the name sent an uncomfortable feeling to her core. Julie stood up, grabbed her bag, and left the room.

Julie met Joe in the living room, and she stopped walking at a fast pace.

"Are you leaving?" He asked.

"Yes, I am. Thank you for everything." She replied.

Joe studied Julie's appearance and asked no further questions.

"I hope to see you here again." He uttered.

"Where is the doctor?" Julie asked, dodging his question.

Joe smiled and replied, "he left a while ago."

Julie felt awkward. All she wanted was to leave at that very moment. "Oh, okay. See you another time, Joe." She said and walked out.

The mansion grew quiet. Joe sat on the couch and laughed. The sound of Joe's laughter echoes in the house. "You love her, and she loves you. Yet you both prefer to hurt each other instead of admitting the truth and improving your love. Youngsters these days are weird." He declared.