Upon receiving his call, her heart raced like a drum. Eight years had passed, and she thought she had forgotten him, or at least sealed away all memories of him. But she couldn’t deceive her own heart; just that one low call, and all her defenses crumbled. Like back then, she wished she could sprout wings and fly to him. However, she didn’t forget to call the man at home before leaving work: she was having dinner with a colleague and asked him to pick up their child.
True Warmth
As eight years went by, what had he become? Sitting in a taxi, she wondered. In the rearview mirror was the face of a restless woman, still beautiful, but upon closer inspection, the corners of her eyes couldn’t hide the marks of time. No one can win the race against time; she had long become a wife and a mother. For the past she couldn’t let go, as the song goes—memories can only be savored.
At the hotel where he was staying, a shallow hug felt like a world apart, and the intricate entanglement of emotions was best kept hidden deep within the heart. Sitting across from each other by the window, they talked about their respective families, jobs, and lives. Her emotional tide gradually receded, wave by wave, bringing her back to the shore, and the fear of drowning disappeared completely. Under his quiet gaze, she knew they could never go back.
“As long as you live happily, I will be at ease,” he said. She felt the same; his happiness was more important than his goodness to her. At that moment, she heard the lingering concerns of these years settling like dust in her heart.
His phone rang, and with a glance, he smiled, “It’s my wife.” He turned aside to answer the call. Although he spoke in a low voice, she could still hear him reporting his itinerary to his wife, essentially saying that his work was done and he would return home tomorrow, asking how things were at home and if the child was mischievous… She smiled faintly: a family-oriented man, a happy family of three.
He turned back to sit, and her phone rang as well. On the call, the man at home urged her to return early, and the child shouted, waiting for her to come back and tell stories… He looked at her with a smile, and she felt a bit embarrassed, as if someone had glimpsed a secret, her face turning slightly red. He said, “Let it be, it’s getting late, I’ll take you back.”
He only saw her off into a taxi. With the window open, a breeze brushed her face, and she recalled his words: “Let it be.” Yes, let it be. Suddenly, she felt an urge to cry. Back then, they had missed each other due to a series of misunderstandings; her heart was cold as ice, and she refused to speak of love again. Under the arrangement of her family, she got married in a hurry, not caring whether it was out of love or not. Who would have thought that her husband would treat her like a treasure, not allowing her to do household chores, only taking care of her with meticulous attention. Yet, she had no feelings; her heart was like a withered branch, never to sprout new buds again. Then, with the arrival of their child, life became more of a routine.
Sometimes, watching her husband bustling about, she would have a moment of daze, wondering if she could bear to let him work so hard back then. There would be moments of restlessness and threads of melancholy, repeatedly entangling in her heart.
The long-anticipated reunion had arrived, but what difference did it make? In their hands, they held nothing but their real lives; who still had the courage to play with life at this age? They could only exchange a smile upon meeting and wave as they parted, like white clouds and time’s swift steed. She suddenly felt a great relief, as if waking from a nightmare, with an unprecedented sense of lightness.
Back home, when the man opened the door, she took the initiative to embrace him for the first time. The man was initially surprised, but soon, his broad and warm chest enveloped her. She finally understood that this was the true source of warmth in this earthly life.