Chapter 12 Why Don't Mommy and Daddy Sleep Together?

The wind hummed a lonely tune against the window, the only sound breaking the silence in the room. Emily sat alone by the bedside, clutching a photo, her fingers trembling a bit.

It was a family portrait of all of them together. Their smiles in the photo were still bright, but now, they felt like daggers to her heart.

Her eyes were on the photo, but her mind was miles away. All those laughs and tears, those sweet and bitter memories, came rushing back, overwhelming her.

Emily was back in the Smith Family house, but she was staying in the guest room.

Back then, James didn't always come home every day, and she'd wait for him in the master bedroom, leaving a light on until she fell asleep from exhaustion. She'd lived in that master bedroom for eight years, but now, it belonged to Olivia.

James and Olivia were probably lying in the master bedroom right now.

Thinking about James and Olivia together made Emily's eyes well up, a sour feeling spreading from her heart, like an invisible hand squeezing it, making it hard to breathe. Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to push down that sour feeling, but tears still fell, dripping onto the photo.

"Mommy, what's wrong? Why aren't you with Daddy?" A dim light appeared in the room, and Michael sneaked in with his toy.

Emily quickly wiped her face, picked Michael up onto the bed, and rubbed his forehead. "Michael, why are you here?"

"I missed you and wanted to sleep with Mommy." Michael slipped under her blanket, then poked his head out, puzzled. "But Mommy, why aren't you sleeping with Daddy? Didn't you always sleep in the master bedroom? Why are you in this room alone? Did you and Daddy have a fight? Did Daddy make you unhappy?"

Emily had just held back her tears, but now they were about to spill over again.

Michael didn't understand; he just didn't know why Emily and James weren't together. "If Daddy bullied you, Mommy, tell me, and I'll stand up for you tomorrow."

Michael waved his little fists, a determined look on his face. "The teacher always says boys should be nice to girls. How can Daddy make Mommy unhappy? And, Mommy, I don't like Olivia. Even though she's nice, she's not as pretty as you, and not as gentle as you. You and Daddy, and me, we three are a family. Can you not let Olivia stay with Daddy? I really want to sleep with both of you. When she stands with Daddy, I always feel you're very sad."

Michael's innocent words felt like a sharp stab to Emily's heart. Even a child so young could see she was very sad.

Her eyes drifted back to the family photo again, and those happy days seemed so close. But James already had a girlfriend, and Olivia was indeed a suitable partner; Emily felt like she didn't measure up.

This afternoon, she really thought James was going to give her a new family. How could she have been so naive? Now it all seemed like a joke.

Emily hugged the fidgety Michael, tears quietly slipping from the corners of her eyes. Michael shouldn't be dragged into these adult problems; he shouldn't have to deal with this mess.

"Michael, Daddy and I didn't have a fight, and he didn't bully me. It's just that Olivia needs him more right now, so Daddy should spend more time with her. Don't say things like that in front of Daddy and Olivia, okay? They're very good to you. If you say that, they'll be sad. Didn't your teacher also say boys shouldn't do things that make others sad?"

Emily tapped Michael's forehead, and he lowered his head, his voice a bit downcast. "Got it, Mommy, but I just miss you and Daddy."

"You're a big boy now," Emily said seriously, then picked up Michael's penguin-shaped pillow, stuffing it back into his arms. To avoid this happening again and to prepare for possibly leaving the Smith Villa, she steeled herself. "Get up, Michael. You can't sleep with Daddy and Mommy anymore. You need to learn to be independent."

"Mommy," Michael pouted, looking unhappy.

Emily patiently squatted by the bed, helping Michael put on his slippers. "You're the smartest boy, right? No big boy sleeps with Daddy and Mommy every day. People would laugh at you. Don't you want to be a big boy?"

Michael tilted his head, torn between being a big boy and sleeping with his mommy, finally choosing to be a hero. "Okay, Mommy, I'll sleep alone then."

Emily breathed a sigh of relief, glad she didn't have to explain more to Michael. She really didn't want anyone to bring up her relationship with James again. They were already divorced, and those old memories should stay buried with the divorce papers.

Emily blinked away her self-pity, holding Michael's hand, ready to take him back to his own room.

The villa's layout was complex, and Michael's room was on the far east side, just past the master bedroom. The master bedroom's light was still on, and since the villa's soundproofing was excellent, she couldn't hear anything.

Emily didn't pause, continuing to walk forward.

She took Michael to his room, and Michael, holding his little pillow, looked at Emily with big eyes. "Mommy, can I come to sleep with you sometimes? Even big boys need their mommies sometimes."

"Of course," Emily bent down, kissed Michael's forehead. "Good night, Michael."