CHAPTER SIXTEEN: GOOD WIFE

ELAINE stared at the pet bottle placed on the bedside table. She then took a glance at the alarm clock that stood right next to it. The clock read ten in the evening. Tan had not returned yet. From time to time, she would peek at the gate, waiting for him to finally get back home soon. Well, she would know once he arrived anyway. She could just stay still and wait until she heard his revving car coming in. But she didn't have any idea why she was feeling so antsy.

That felt like a deja vu. This used to happen to her while she kept waiting for Tan to come back from work. Even though she had already received his text message informing her he'd be late, she still waited for him to arrive. She stayed awake all night waiting for him just for nothing.

Perhaps, she was used to being in his arms wrapped around her body until she could fall asleep. Now, she had a hard time sleeping without him. She'd fall asleep right away if he's beside her, with his skin brushed to hers. His soft snores and his warm and fragrant breaths in her neck were enough to calm her nerves.

A few years ago, his small gestures were enough to give her a peaceful sleep. Now, without sleeping pills or beer, she could not fall asleep fast. She was not able to get enough sleep last night but drowsiness had not taken over her yet either.

She snatched her phone, contemplating whether to send Tan a text message or not. Pressing her lips, she brushed her thoughts away and typed a message. Her fingers were moving fast and hit the send button without hesitation.

She took a deep breath, picked up a glass of water, and swallowed a pill into her mouth. Shortly afterward, she tucked herself to bed.

AS soon as Tan arrived, he groped for the light switch— flooding the room in brightness. He loosened his tie as he walked towards his room when he noticed the well-organized living room. He then proceeded to the kitchen. It was surprisingly clean, too. His eyes darted towards the non-stick casserole pot set down on the dining table. The smell of caldereta danced through his nostrils as he opened the pot cover. It smelt nice and tempting but he immediately put the cover back on. As he was about to move back to his room, a few bottles of whiskey and wine lined up on the counter caught his eyes.

His forehead creased. He went straight towards the fridge only to find out it was stuffed with canned beer. He glanced at Elaine's room, his brows met in a grim frown over the burning eyes. He confiscated the alcohol one by one and dumped them all into the trash bin.

ELAINE jumped out of bed, glancing at her clock on the nightstand. Her eyes widened as she figured it was already nine in the morning. Her shoulders slouched in disappointment. The small rays of the sun coming from the small crevice of her room had proven that it was already late. She could not believe herself. How could she let herself sleep that long? Usually, even though she would take a sleeping pill, she's already awake at six.

Elaine groaned. Disappointed in herself. She dragged herself out of her bed, exhaling in frustration. Tan had probably left for work. She never even got to see him last night.

The question was, did he even come home last night?

She grabbed her phone on the nightstand as soon as she realized that she texted him last night before she fell asleep. She only received Drew's chat message and Anne's email. Apart from that, no text message from him that she could see. Despair washed over her.

She took the bath towel hung on the rack before she headed out to take a shower. Much to her surprise, just right after she got out of her room, she saw Tan coming out of the bathroom. He looked at her, a penetrating stare that pounded her chest.

"You need to calm down," she told herself while urging herself to withdraw her eyes from staring at him. But heck, she could not take her eyes away from him.

A large bath towel was draped across his shoulder. He was half-naked— the only thing he had on was his pajama pants. Tiny droplets of water were dripping from his body. The scent of his aftershave and fresh body wash crawled into her sense of smell. Elaine blinked her eyes. She came to her senses realizing how awkward her reaction was. She stood still, flashing a sheepish smile. Tan didn't return her gesture. Instead, he walked past her and stepped through his bedroom door.

As soon as his bedroom door slid shut, Elaine ran towards her bedroom with haste. She threw the towel on the bed and brushed her hair with a hair comb. After that, she went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Shortly afterward, she sprinted across the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She was holding the chopping board, about to chop up some onions when she noticed that the food she cooked last night was left uneaten.

She took a deep breath. Should she still cook breakfast for him if she was not even sure he'd eat them? Elaine shook her head. He came home late last night. He must be really tired from work and for sure he had already eaten at a restaurant.

At any rate, she continued preparing for breakfast. Once she was done chopping up the onions, she pulled the fridge open to get some frozen meat. As soon as it swung open, she noticed that a dozen cans of beer went missing. The only that was left were water bottles, a quart of milk, and some fruit juices. Her eyes flew towards the counter. The bottles of rum and wine she bought yesterday had all gone as well.

"I threw it all away. Alcohol is not allowed in this household," said a flat-toned voice coming from behind her.

Elaine twisted to stare at Tan. He knew she was looking for something. He was now wearing a navy blue long-sleeve shirt, black slacks, and a pair of socks. Though he wasn't wearing his working shoes yet, in Elaine's eyes he was already perfect. A black coat was draped across his arms while he was holding a briefcase in his left hand. She noticed he was not wearing a tie yet. She used to help him with that. After offering her small help, he would return it with a kiss and a hug.

Tan was about to leave when Elaine ran to catch up with him.

"Let me prepare our breakfast first so we could eat together before you leave for work."

Tan threw her an exasperated look. Elaine swallowed hard. A thick knot of emotion tightened in her throat seeing the hostility reflected in his eyes.

"Stop acting like a good wife, Elaine. It does not suit you."

Elaine flinched at the sting of Tan's words. She heaved out a long and deep sigh as soon as the door swung close, indicating that he had left.

Ever since she was planning to come back, Elaine already knew that it would not be easy. That choosing that certain path would be darker than she ever thought it would. But she decided to bravely walk that long and dark alley for she believed that there was someone that was waiting for her by the end of the trail. She knew it was Tan. The one who was waiting for her return.

Him, ignoring her right now was no match to the pain she caused him back in the past. Not even half of it yet. She had just started and she should remind herself that there’s no point of stopping at this point.

Tan is worth every cut and pain. Elaine won't give up just because it hurts.