Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem

Chapter 33

Elysia emerged from the bathroom to find Emmett had whipped up her favorite comfort meal – a bowl of chicken soup. He had sprinkled chopped green onions and cilantro on top, just the way she liked it, along with a pair of sunny–side–up eggs.

Emmett had a natural flair for cooking and a genuine interest that made everything he touched turn to deliciousness.

A warm feeling bubbled up inside Elysia as she approached Emmett and planted a smacking kiss on his cheek.

“Emmett, you’re the sweetest, like a warm hoodie on a chilly day,” she cooed.

Emmett’s cheeks flushed a rosy hue, his shyness evident. But when he noticed the bruise on Elysia’s face, a shadow of concern crossed his features, and his eyes welled up.

“Mommy, can I sleep with you tonight? I wanna be close to you.”

Elliot and Evan, hearing this, turned their hopeful gazes towards Elysia.

“Of course, you can,” Elysia chuckled.

“Yay! I’ll tell Mommy a joke to make her laugh.”

“I’ll give Mommy a massage.”

“I’ll help Mommy fall asleep.”

Laughter and love filled the small room, a testament to their tight–knit bond.

But as she looked at her three little ones, Elysia’s heart skipped a beat, a strange surge of emotion washing over her. It was as if a piece of her complete heart was missing.

not new; it crept up every time they

her

something–or someone–was absent, yet she couldn’t pinpoint

odd, unsettling feeling.

Mansion, the atmosphere was starkly different, cold and lifeless.

a plate of spaghetti upstairs, where Elijah was still perched by the

figure looked lost and forlorn.

heart ached for him, and he approached gently. “Elijah,

10:25

move, his eyes fixed on the doorway.

in front of Elijah, Tarquin tried to coax him. “If you don’t eat, Mommy will be

a flicker of life sparked in Elijah’s

think Mommy knows?”

between mother and child. She knows what you’re feeling, and she knows when you’re not eating.”

if I miss her, does she know that

“Yes… she does.”

knows I miss her, why doesn’t she come

Tarquin’s heart

Where had that heartless woman gone?

like me?” Elijah’s voice

“No, of course not. She must

come back if she knows

heart, Tarquin stroked Elijah’s head. “Maybe she’s caught up in something