Beyond the Divorce

A Special New Year’s Day

Suddenly, I noticed a car parked outside the main door, and my heart skipped a beat. The soft night light.

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in the room would show my silhouette, so I pulled the curtains and turned off the light.

I leaned against the window, straining to hear any sounds from outside. My eyes grew teary, and I cursed

myself for this display of emotion. Wasn’t it better for us to stay in our own worlds?

Only the faint sound of the car moving away could be heard, and a few tears escaped. I quickly pulled the curtains open and looked outside, but all I could see were the fading red tail lights disappearing from

view. My heart tightened.

to

He left even though it was late. He did not come in eagerly like he used to.

I

I slowly drew the curtains again and sat blankly on the bed. Eventually, I got under the covers and tried to

sleep.

It was already close to noon the next day when I woke up.

I woke up close to noon the next day, feeling refreshed. After getting ready, I went downstairs for lunch. I

considered visiting the office since there was much to take care of before the holiday, and I couldn’t

leave everything to Ryan.

After getting ready, I went downstairs to let my mother know.

They were planning to go to the market, and I teased, “You’re going to the market now? Is there a

celebration tomorrow?”

Beaming, my mother replied, “Your dad and I want to see what they’re selling. We’ll get a head start so we won’t be scrambling later. We can’t afford last–minute forgetfulness since more people will join us this year!”

They both had broad smiles on their faces, showing that they were genuinely happy. I knew they were excited to prepare for this event.

Outside, I noticed my car had been returned and appeared in good condition. This unexpected gesture touched my heart. They even replaced the seat cushion. The car had a pleasant scent, probably from excess perfume, but I found it enjoyable.

At the office, everyone was busy with preparations. Carol discussed the holiday duty schedule and financial reports with me. They showed that the early return of funds was enough to cover costs. I was pleasantly surprised,

spent the entire afternoon without a break, only finishing when it was time to leave. Just as I was

we decided to repay a portion of them first.

I asked Ryan when he planned to bring his parents over. He smiled at me and asked, “Are you sure about

having them join us?”

“What kind of question is that? Do you think I’m joking? My parents are already shopping in preparation!” I teased, and Ryan laughed heartily.

“Then I'll book their plane tickets.”

“Since they’ll arrive on Sunday, make sure they’re well–rested!” I commanded him. “That’s all.”

I was worried Ryan would procrastinate, so I immediately called Carol to book the tickets for Sunday.

This New Year’s had a special significance, and I prayed that everything would go as planned.