A week and a half later...

I check myself in the mirror. My stomach is still flat but if I touch it, there is a hard lump. There is our baby in me. I'm glad it's not showing a lot. My lips curve to a smile. And because of you, it gives me another reason to halt my ice skating career.

Talking about ice skating, I'm taking you to skating with me. And I want Dawson to come with us. The competition is coming really soon and really fast.

Since these days, I've been wearing large shirt to help me hide my stomach. No, I haven't told Dawson yet, but I plan to soon, whenever I am ready to.

"Dawson?" I call for her. Yes she is still being a kid. I'm not mad at her but just concealing my baby. So I'm doing things differently and she thinks it's because of the issue that happened weeks ago. I guess this is my fault too, but I did tell her multiple times that I'm not mad. She just won't believe me.

"I'm here," she calls from the living room. I got there and found her texting. She look up, but didn't show any smile, no emotion.

"So you know," I start as I walk to the couch to sit down. "There's a competition coming really soon. I would like you to go with me," and the baby.

"I can't. I have deals to sign," she answer. Of course, never will you join me to my events.

"I'm not surprised. But it's fine, we can go alone," I caught myself when I accidentally said 'we'.

"We?" Dawson ask. She caught me also.

"My team and I," I said quickly. "We're leaving soon during this week," I tell her the state, city, and where the event is taking place. I have a feeling that she'll follow me this time, but if i'm wrong then oh well.

When skating, I've been very careful. I fear falling, though I rarely do. I have to remind myself that it's not just me anymore, it's also our baby. I know I shouldn't be skating too because of the risk, but this will be the last. I have doubts of participating in the NWPIS, even though it was part of my plan. I don't regret it. I don't regret it at all.

"Dawson, are you sure? I would really appreciate it if you go. I'm begging you." I ask again. She look down then shake her head.

"I have other things that are as important as what you do."

"Your loss," I get up and went upstairs.

I watch Rylee walk away from me after not getting what she hoped for. Haha, she'll have to try harder than that.

Rylee left on a Thursday. She seem upset with me and left without telling. I had to figure it by myself when she wasn't seen in the house. I checked her room and her skating stuff were gone. So I'm guessing, she'll be back towards the end of next week?

Thursday, after discovering Rylee had left, I went to the family's business. I help out my brother and sister on some things that they needed to get done. They ask me about Rylee, and I've been telling them she's being herself and she had just left to go to an ice skating competition. When they ask why I didn't go. I told them I don't have time.

"Of course you don't have time," Erin says as she types on the keyboard. "Even if I don't have time, I will still support her. For sure I know and I heard, you never help Rylee on anything. If I were you, I'd reflect to myself."

"I will do things in my own way, on my own terms, and how I like," I respond then leave her room.

"I just don't want you to do things that you'll regret later. Rylee is a sister in law that I like and I don't want anyone to replace her," I heard Erin talking. Well, I agree. I don't want anyone to replace her either.

I open the door to my room and see the silhouette of her, Rylee. She is at the open window, looking out to the wilderness. She has returned already? Quietly, I step inside the dark room and see that Rylee has turn her head to the side. She see me.

A flash of lightning in the clouds blind me, causing me to close my eyes. Once I flutter them open, Rylee was gone. I'm the only one inside the room. Was it really her or was it my mind playing tricks on me?

No.

Rylee is not here because she's in another state.

I walk up to the open window and close it before pulling the curtains to cover it.

I miss my wife.

Wife.

Unconsciously, my mind speaks to me. Never have I seen Rylee as my wife. Rylee was just Rylee to me. Maybe I just miss the fights we have. Maybe it's the effect I have on her that I love to abuse: to make her cry, feel weak, to hate me.

Who do you think you are, Dawson? Rylee, the Ice Queen, in the palms of your hands. She is rare and you should be holding onto her and never let go. Don't be stupid.

My mind tells me what my friend had once told me.

As if I don't know already. I pull out my phone and went to YouTube. The event that Rylee is participating in had aired four hours ago. Right now it's 10 pm. Rylee had left three days ago so I assume she have finished two out of the three events. Plus on the video, it says day two. So then tomorrow must be the last day. What I know is the last day is her and a partner, and her partner is no other than Heidi. Her hands will be all over Rylee and I do not like that at all. Maybe it was a mistake to not go with her. She plead before she left. She knows that I lied about signing deals. Erin was right to say I have never help her on anything. I have never support her ever, not even from day one.

I guess I'm just a lucky bastard who got her without asking her. Many people would do so much to talk to her or even hold her hands. But here I am, being able to do all those things without her permission. I'm just a lucky bastard who got into a marriage with her and was upset about it. No, I wouldn't choose Alissa either if I had a choice. For these months I've spent with Rylee, I felt myself changed. I went soft.

I went to sit on the bed and reflect on myself again like my sister had suggested earlier.

Let me just do something good to Rylee for once. I will show my face at the event. I will watch her then I will leave quietly.