When Xhemin arrived at Darryl's apartment that night, everything was incredibly quiet. They parted ways at the theater and she wasn't sure if her husband was already home. Truth was she was kind of worried where Darryl went especially after their argument. Things really went bad unintentionally and in her part, she was really sorry for the things she said. It's just that she kind of lost it all for a second and the next thing she knew, she was already unreasonably blaming everything to him. However, she had only realized her fault the moment he walked out.

When she entered, she felt instantly relieved to see Darryl in the kitchen, wearing the same apron he wore earlier when he was cooking. The way it looked, it seemed that Darryl was heating up the food for both of them, and the table were already set.

​​

"Come up here and eat," She heard him while she was closing the door. His voice wasn't gentle, it sounded demanding actually and a bit cold. Xhemin, who acknowledged her fault, decided that the last thing she should ever do tonight was to defy him so she obediently sat on the table and eat with him. They eat quietly for few minutes with Darryl occasionally putting food on her plate without the need of saying anything.

"I'm good," She announced when she was full before Darryl could put another food on her plate. In response, he only nodded slightly, giving Xhemin permission to exit out of the table. Xhemin looked at him for a minute, deciding whether she should apologize right the but Darryl's silent treatment got her to awkward to ever say anything so she chose to just let it go. She went to bedroom instead and decided to think things through in the shower.

While pampering herself with the hot water, Xhemin's thought was full of nothing but of the man who was in the kitchen, currently doing things she don't know. Although Darryl's affection for her was still evident by the way he was treating her at dinner, she knew however he was deeply hurt. Xhemin wondered by then how far can he still go on with his desperate wooing when he ends up being hurt all the time. Darryl might be the most patient man she had ever known but he too was still human after all, and she knew somehow, his patience will run dry at some point. She wondered what will happen by then and if ever she can endure the changes that goes with it.

Would she miss him if he stops appearing at her door? She will, that's for certain, the only problem was that, can she endure it?

However, missing him would probably the least torture she would experience by then for the surely seeing him falling in love with someone else will be the greatest hell she would be subjected to.

How painful would it be to see him wooing someone else?

Kissing someone else?

Adoring someone else?

Loving someone else?

How far painful can it be with the stung she felt tonight when she saw him chasing another woman? For sure that would be millions times heartbreaking.

Xhemin wasn't aware but the droplets falling at her feet were not only water from the shower, with it, were her tears. Some tears she refused to acknowledge and even before she could drown with all her fears, she stepped out of the shower and no matter how soothing was the warm bath she just had, her skin felt very cold, so was her heart. Despite such, she still managed to clothe herself decently for bed and dragged herself to it, hoping Darryl will come and give her some warmth.

However, he didn't.

Instead, Darryl sat on the other side quietly giving Xhemin all the space she always demanded on him.

***

Something in the deep midnight woke Xhemin up. It could be the thunder or the occasional lighting that surely gave the room seconds of flashing light. It wasn't raining yet, but the wind was howling dangerously.

However, neither the thunder not the lighting that woke Xhemin up. It was her instinct—her own body felt something nearby that demanded her full attention and so she stood up immediately, as if in panic and looked through the window searching for something in the dark.

"Are you okay?" Darryl's voice echoed in the dark. He was watching her the whole time ever since he entered the room when Xhemin was still fresh from shower. Hours had passed already yet Darryl couldn't make himself sleep, so he spent all those empty dark hours watching his wife sleep peacefully at the far edge of the bed until the sky went in chaos.

Xhemin's focused search made her unable to be aware of neither Darryl's question nor his presence. Her instinct and sub-consciousness got her too occupied about something she was fervently searching for as if she was certain something significant was outside but she was just too incompetent of seeing it.

"Xhemin," Darryl called on her again but instead of answering, he saw her expression changed by the sudden flash of lighting and she went running out the door in haste, bare feet and with nothing but her sleeping gown. She went all the way to the thundering streets, running screaming.

"Huzey!" She screamed his name as if he was there waiting for her but when she reached the spot where she thought he was standing, it was all empty. Xhemin looked around, already crying, feeling frustrated about herself for being such a slowpoke. If she had run fast enough, she could have caught him.

She looked around desperately never minding the nature's turmoil and searched with all her might with great belief that if she could only learn to search deeper, she'll find him.

"Xhemin," It was Darryl's voice she heard and when she looked around, she found him standing at her back. "You were just dreaming milady,"

"I am not," Xhemin refuted. "I saw him, he's here. I know he's here,"

Darryl looked at her thoroughly and although Xhemin was expecting his doubt, his eyes weren't full of it. It was full of hurt instead.

Does Xhemin dream of Huzey all the time?

Was her longing for him that strong that she cannot even determine whether it's real or not?

Can she cannot let go of Huzey the the way he cannot let go of her?

Does she love Huzey the way Darryl loved her then?

"Come milady, it's going to rain soon," Darryl reached for her hand with a tone much colder than the wind that was lingering.

"He's here Darryl," Xhemin blabbered frustrated at her husband's face. "I'm certain. I'm very certain"

"He was watching me," Xhemin tears fell tremendously as she added. "He came to see me…I know…He must missed me so much,"

Darryl swallowed his hurt. Seeing Xhemin's tears, he cannot think of nothing but wiping them away even before he could mind his bleeding heart. He reached for her and let her lean on his shoulder for comfort. She cried even more in his arms.

Xhemin cried for almost an hour and Darryl just let her. They were all alone in the dark streets as it was midnight and the weather was scaring everyone indoors. Soon, Xhemin hiccupped the last and when she felt a little better, Darryl carefully dragged her back inside the house. He went after her at the door and when he was about to close it, he alone saw something moved at one dark corner of the street. It was a black regal car that blended perfectly at the color of the night and it moved past Darryl's apartment slowly as if making sure he and Xhemin both had gone inside safe and sound.