Her heart fluttered anxiously as she hurriedly rose to her feet, rummaging through the medicine cabinet to find disinfectant and bandages for his wounds.
With his indifferent demeanor, Leopold barely noticed the injury. "Every time you lash out at me, my heart aches, not my hand. But, once the hand hurts, the heart doesn't feel the pain."
Aurelia was at a loss for words. She wasn't some enchantress. It was his possessiveness that was overbearing.
"If I'm so detestable, always making you mad, just don't take it to heart."
"You're my treasure, and I'd never let go, not even in death," he declared with certainty.
Aurelia tried to muster a smile, but it came with sadness. She wasn't a treasure but a trophy. A prize coveted only in the heat of competition, disregarded once the contest ended.
"Let's call it a night," she suggested.
They seemed to coexist better in silence. Words between them were like bullets, wounding each other with every exchange.
Aurelia rose early the next day to bake pastries in the kitchen. Since the proud Mr. Leopold had a craving, she indulged him, hoping to avoid another one of his self-destructive tantrums that could lead to injury.
Leopold descended the stairs with their son, Kane, lured by the sweet scent of freshly baked cheese pastries. His mood lifted instantly, the frustrations of the previous night dissipating.
Aurelia's presence seemed to sway his emotions. She was the one who could calm his mind.
"Mom's made some treats," Kane chirped as he scampered into the kitchen, his face alight with excitement.
Aurelia plated the warm pastries, freshly out of the oven.
"Kane, take some to school for snack time," she instructed, dividing them into portions. One was for Kane, one for his friends William and Skyler, and another to share with his classmates.
"Okay." Kane nodded in compliance.
Leopold couldn't resist grabbing a pastry to taste, heedless of the heat.
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