His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 83

The house did not have enough space for the number of clothes and gifts that Gabriel’s parents and grandparents brought for the twins. Leila cried, and Alister held both of them with trembling hands. He had lost so much weight and I avoided talking to him much because it reminded me of the way my Grandpa first shrunk. They were happy great-grandparents though. Ralph spent every moment deciphering what the perfect name would be for the twins to call them since Grandpa seemed too boring. Flise stuck with me though, making me promise I wouldn’t leave them again, and then told me that if 1 didn’t plan on shifting to the city, the entire family would buy houses in the neighbourhood and end up shifting here for the

little ones

I had laughed it off, but I wasn’t entirely sure that she was joking,

Two weeks after that, I woke up to Gabriel in the garden again. He spent an awful amount of time there every morning and told me he was working, so I never disturbed him.

Today, however, curiosity got the best of me and I went to the garden, even if to just watch him work.

He wasn’t working.

He was… gardening.

I clear my throat to get his attention. What in the world are you doing?”

“Gardening, he replies with a grin like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Do you care to join?”

“No!” I responded and he sprayed a little bit of water on my face in reply, then laughing. I flinched behind, and then glared

at him.

“Gabriel what?”

“A little birdie told me that this garden used to be filled with flowers before Jim got cancer. He gets up from his place. walking towards me.

Warmth spreads over me as I smile. “Alice told you?”

“Mh-hm.” He nods standing in front of me with his hands crossed in front of his chest, his gaze laser focused at me.

he could look in his cotton punts that were folded so they don’t get soiled and the knitted vest he was wearing. I suddenly felt conscious of my baggy sweats and the messy bun situation I had going, but he still looked at me like

the garden after I had to take

laughs, his laughter making my heart beat rapidly. “I am re-planting

in my garden. I grew capsicums and tomatoes and even limes. There

know.” He looks disappointed. “And I’m out here working on the soil

smile. “Why were you doing it yourself?” I asked, “The Gabriel (knew would’ve hired someone to come and do

the Gabriel

for example, six weeks with you, and I

Tue, Jun 4

Chapter 83

change, yes, mumble even though I can’t really hear my own voice

back, he would kiss

back, he

He doesn’t kiss me.

He steps back

my cheeks. “A small house. Four rooms. Five max. A wrap around porch. A garden where I grow flowers

turns upwards “And what about a husband who

beamed. “Work reminds me, what about your work: You ve been here for six weeks. How much longer are

crawl, or when they speak their first words. I’m going to be here, every

for the rest

for the rest of

either of us want to move

on**

snaps to

can move out and about.” I ignore the pain that rises in me by the thought

the way his jaw tightened “And I am certainly not

don’t get a say in that. We are divorced. I remind

them.” He stares at me with a firm and hard gaze. “And even if we were divorced, bold of you to assume