My Wife, My Man?

Chapter Sixteen

"Love makes the time pass. Time makes love pass." An English Proverb

The realizations led to a lot of things. So, for a while, Perli remained quiet, falling back onto the softness of the bed, and casting her gaze on the patterned ceiling. It was a selfish thing for her to do; to be drawn away by her thoughts, when she knew Abigail, somehow, still expected an answer from her. A loud and exaggerated sigh echoing from Abigail's mouth seemed to hint towards a loss of interest in the discussion they were having. Hence, for a while, they dwelt in silence.

"Per-li," Abigail sounded her name, eventually breaking the silence.

Perli rotated on her side, her mind drifting away from her thoughts. She raised her brows at the little girl.

Abigail tapped her lower lip. "You know, I have never heard a name like that before. What does it mean?" Her brows furrowed as she asked.

"Well." Perli smiled, recalling what her mother used to say about her name. "My name is actually abbreviated from two words. The p e r comes from pearls and the l I, from lily. So, the full name is Pearl-lily but my parents shortened it to Perli."

A spark of interest shone in Abigail's eyes. "Pearl-lily, huh?" she repeated. "Why those two words?"

Perli thought about the answer, running her fingers through her hair. "My dad and mom first met in a place that was filled with lilies when they were in high school, and the first gift that my dad ever gave my mom was a relatively expensive necklace made of pearls."

"So romantic," Abigail cooed, placing her hands together on her chest. "I hope to meet someone that romantic in the future."

"In the future?" Perli chuckled. "You don't want Mister Onel anymore?"

"Well." Abigail dropped beside her and crossed her arms. "He is married to you, so I, unfortunately, have to look somewhere else."

Amused, Perli shook her head.

"But he is a good person, isn't he?" Abigail raised both brows in question.

Perli frowned, portraying a lack of understanding despite knowing who Abigail referred to.

"Jack Onel." Abigail rolled her eyes. "He is a good person, right? Though." A little frown captured Abigail's face; her fingers close to her lips. "He seems so cold, at least on TV, but..." Her face lit up with a grin. "I'm sure he warms up to you."

Perli said nothing and only smiled a little as she thought of Jack. In the past few months, she had seen a side of him she never imagined a man so cold and dismissive could have. She had always imagined her life being miserable with him but somehow; it wasn't! He was a good man, or so Maggie always said, and she could never get herself to disagree. He was kind to her; grown to be more patient and, if possible, loving. However, sometimes, all his gestures felt like acts of redemption; like he was trying to make up for something that had happened in the past. And the question was what? There were just too many whats and whys to their union. She still needed answers to questions that neither he nor her uncle were willing to give.

She needed to know!

Her need for answers had her wandering about after she had left Liz's house. She didn't want to go home; not yet, not when the night felt young, and the stars danced in the sky. It was at times like these that she was given a chance to put her thoughts to rest. So, she drove herself to a place so familiar, where the waters sparkled and reflected the beauty of the sky. She knew it was not safe, especially for a young woman, to sit on a bench in isolation in a park. However, the gentle breeze brushing against her face felt inviting. It brought the peace she dearly desired.