Beyond the Divorce



I felt a dull ache in my head, causing me to toss and turn uncomfortably. It was as if I feared the wax might drip onto my hands.

In a haze, I murmured, "Mommy, does it hurt?"

She said something, and her voice echoed persistently in my ears.

A warm hand gently clasped mine, guiding me through winding paths, past a towering tree surrounded by vibrant flowers, until we reached a small tree.

"What kind of tree is this, Mommy?" I looked up at the short tree.

"An almond eucalyptus tree. It's the tallest tree, do you remember?" Holding a package, she began to dig into the soil under the tree.

My head throbbed. I tossed and turned in bed.

"Chlo, wake up." A gentle voice called out to me.

I mumbled, trying to open my eyes, but I couldn't.

"Chlo... wake up."

The voice grew clearer.

Yet, my mother's voice continued to echo, "It's the tallest tree. Remember this, okay?"

"Chlo, wake up." I felt a large hand gently tapping my cheeks.

Startled, I abruptly opened my eyes.

My head was pounding. Instinctively, I pressed my temples, grunting.

"What's wrong? Had a nightmare?" Atlas's gentle voice sounded in my ear, gradually drowning out my mother's words.

I gazed blankly at his worried face. I leaned against him, letting out a relieved sigh, and softly groaned.

"My head hurts. I had a dream," I murmured, closing my eyes and clicking my tongue. "I'm so thirsty."

I suspected it was from eating too much spicy food earlier. Atlas handed me a glass of water, which he had prepared.

I gulped down the water, feeling its coolness flow down my throat. I instantly felt more energetic, and my headache seemed to ease.

"Thanks, honey. You're the best." I grinned.

As expected, he kissed me and smiled.

"You want more? There's freshly squeezed orange juice." He looked at me proudly.

I didn't really want more, but seeing his expectant gaze, I didn't dare to say otherwise.

"Yes." I sat up straight, leaving his embrace, and smiled at him. "My classmate said the juice on our plane is really good."

He handed me a glass of juice, smiling. "Your classmate is just flattering you. Do you believe that?"

"Indeed, it's delicious. Why wouldn't I believe them?" I took a sip.

"Then are you still going to reprimand them, my dear wife?" Atlas smirked.

"Are you here to tease me again?" I laughed, and he pinched my nose.

"What time do we arrive?" I asked him.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"At 9 p.m.," he said, then checked the time. "We still have a while. You want to rest a bit more?"

"No, I'm good. My head hurts too much from sleeping already."

"Then let's get up and move around," he suggested, and I grabbed his hand, getting out of bed.

He brought me a pair of soft slippers before leading me outside our room.

Through the porthole, I saw a sea of clouds outside, stretching as far as the eye could see. It occasionally revealed a ray of sunset, which looked magnificent.

I had never flown for so long before, so my feet were a bit weak.

I saw Dylan and Tristan looking at a laptop together, and they were very focused. Their fingers danced on top of the keyboard, and I wondered what they were typing.

When we arrived in Nocturnia, it was already night.

After we got into the car that came to pick us up directly from the airport, I asked Atlas softly, "Where are we going first?"

He whispered back, "Let's go back to

our place. It's too late, and you'reneo

tired.

for the night and then we

will go see Grandpa tomorrow

ggums

I smiled faintly. This arrangement suited me just fine.