Upon entering Sophia’s room, John saw her lying on the bed with her back to the door. He hurried to her while asking, “Was my mother being difficult?”
Sophia was feeling a little groggy. “No, she wasn’t.”
However, John didn’t believe in a word she said, as from prior experience, it was impossible to put the two together without inciting some sort of conflict. Besides, Matilda seemed a little upset when she left the room. John circled around the bed to observe Sophia from the other side. “My mother speaks more harshly than necessary, so please don’t take it personally. If she said anything that offended you, please allow me to apologize on her behalf.”
Sophia cast John a glance before closing her eyes. “As I said, your mother didn’t do anything to offend me.”
Propping a knee on the bed, John leaned in to caress her forehead. “What’s wrong? You seem a little dispirited these days. Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Why don’t we go to the hospital for a checkup?”
Sophia flipped herself over to look at the ceiling. “I’m fine. It’s just that our journey on the train left me exhausted, so I will need a few days to recuperate.”
After giving the situation some thought, John held her hand before calling out to her, “Sophia Gwendolyn.” Due to how formal he sounded, she couldn’t help but turn around to look at him. Meanwhile, he massaged her fingers one by one carefully. “Why don’t you tell me what I should do to improve the situation?”
Sophia frowned as she didn’t catch what he meant. With a sigh, he elaborated, “I have no idea what I should do to secure more of your time and attention.” He spoke with such grief that Sophia startled. Pursing his lips, a smile flashed across his face before he continued, “I am running out of ideas, as I feel like nothing I do would please you. Sophia, why don’t you give me a few hints as to what would make you happy?”
You always are, no matter if it is before or after our divorce. The problem lies mostly with me.”
John heaved a sigh before pressing on. “The way you said it sounds like you’re trying to dismiss me.”
Sophia smiled in defeat as she wasn’t exactly lying. By that point, she realized that John wasn’t wholly responsible for how things turned out between them, as she also had her own demons. Both parties were responsible in a failing relationship, so one shouldn’t be pinning all of the responsibility on the other. Thus, she said, “Give me some time, as I am currently overwhelmed by my circumstances. I am facing a lot of blockages in life, so please don’t push too hard.”
Upon hearing what she told him, John regained some confidence, as it was way better than being outright rejected. Humming, he gave her a nod before promising, “Alright, I will push you no more. Get some rest while I finish cooking, and I’ll come get you later.”
Sophia shut her eyes, seemingly intent on getting some sleep. After tucking her in, he left the room, only to see Logan sitting in the living room. As soon as Logan saw John, he asked the latter in confusion, “What’s wrong? Ms. Matilda seemed to have left in dismay. Did they get into another fight?”
John recalled what he saw before replying, “I don’t think so, as Sophia seemed alright.” With her short temper, she wouldn’t possibly be that quiet if they quarreled, as she would most likely be cussing out loud. However, she seemed rather calm when John saw her. Logan hesitated for a moment due to confusion, but returned to the kitchen with John anyway.
When dinner was ready, Sophia was already sound asleep. Upon checking on her, John didn’t want to rouse her, so he finished his meal with Logan. Putting some food aside for her, John figured they could decide on what to do with it once Sophia was up. By that point, instead of a rowdy meal, Logan and John were the only ones left dining by the table, which seemed to have killed the mood.
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