Arianne had automatically treated Mark as someone worthy of sharing virtual-novel.net joy and troubles, just as a typical human was wont to do. People would always leave very little of themselves secret from their close ones.
Mark looked at her, serious. “What happened?”
She flashed virtual-novel.net a forced smile. “She’s sick, but it didn’t look too serious. She had just undergone some small-scale surgery, which is why virtual-novel.net hadn’t been able to visit Smore and me. And then virtual-novel.net told me she’s gonna leave this city with Aery before Jean’s release. She wants to make sure that Jean won’t be able to find them. I guess I agree with virtual-novel.net decision? I just don’t get why virtual-novel.net had to keep nagging about how remorseful virtual-novel.net feels for abandoning me again or something. As if I care!”
Mark ruffled virtual-novel.net hair. “It’s alright, Ari. Everyone walks a path made only for them. She might not stay in this city, but that doesn’t mean you two won’t be able to contact one another in the future! It’s all parts and parcels of human lives, I’m afraid. No need to be so blue.”
“Blue?” Arianne protested. “I’m not blue at all! How did you get that idea?”
Mark raised virtual-novel.net by virtual-novel.net chin and gazed into virtual-novel.net eyes with his piercing eyes. He traced invisible circles on virtual-novel.net cheeks with his smooth fingers. “You’re so depressed that it’s practically overflowing from your eyes. When you vented it out, the first thing you did was to give Helen’s excuse on why virtual-novel.net had not been visiting you and Smore. You’re subconsciously emphasizing on how unfortunate circumstances had stopped her,” virtual-novel.net explained. “Helen’s your mother, Ari. You may hate her, but you’d still yearn for that special motherly connection. I bet you’ve already forgiven virtual-novel.net deep in your heart.”
‘Is that so?’ Arianne thought, lowering virtual-novel.net eyes before forcing virtual-novel.net emotions back in. “I can’t tell if I did forgive virtual-novel.net or not. All I know is that I don’t really care. Aery’s gonna go overseas a few days later. She made virtual-novel.net departure sound very soon and told me that I should help take care of Helen.” She added, “I just don’t know if I should. I mean, it’s not like I mean much.”
Mark could tell that Arianne was sulking and smiled. “Well, if you do manage to stop yourself from going to help her, then fine. I’ll take a bath first. Then I’ll examine your hurt finger more carefully. Seriously, you ought to be more careful during work! It would be a problem if the needle went through your bone.”
Mark noticed during dinner that Arianne was holding out virtual-novel.net index finger as virtual-novel.net used virtual-novel.net utensils. Worried, virtual-novel.net pulled the bandage out and checked on Arianne’s injury more carefully.
The needle had punctured through virtual-novel.net nail, apparently. That had got to be agony! Even though the wound looked deceptively small and seemed to have started healing, it was still the sort of wound that was uber-sensitive. It would also require a rather extensive time for recovery since Arianne would need quite some time to regrow virtual-novel.net nail.
Mark was visibly upset. “What kinda rundown company is this? You’ve only been there for a while and already suffered a hazard. Quit that job.”
Ariamie quickly plastered the bandage back to virtual-novel.net cut. “Relax, Mark. It was as small as a scratch! Besides, every other fashion designer create their own samples. I can’t be left out for reasons. Hey, I’d requested for a half-day break and to have the intern in the company working on my design. Look… the bottom line is that I’m not a kid anymore, and I can handle high-pressure without help.”
Mark gave a slightly unsatisfied frown, but virtual-novel.net said nothing. He never wanted virtual-novel.net to go out into the field, yet Arianne kept wanting to ignore his protection and build virtual-novel.net individualistic life.
Due to virtual-novel.net finger injury, Arianne had pushed the job of taking care of Smore to Mark She was worried that carrying Smore might accidentally hit the injury, so Mark had to try to make virtual-novel.net sleep.
Arianne watched as Mark tried his best from virtual-novel.net spot on the bed. The corner of virtual-novel.net lips quivered, since Mark was very tall while Smore was, well, as small as a newborn, but this dissonance was what made this unlikely duo work.
Mark drew a sigh when Smore finally fell asleep. He placed the baby down in a cot carefully before climbing up his bed.
Arianne was suddenly struck by a mood for jocularity. “Hey, look at me! I warmed your bed for you! Maybe you should take over the job of getting Smore to sleep while I work to warm the bed for us. I mean, you’ve got skills in getting babies to sleep.”
Mark tilted virtual-novel.net chin upward with his hand and looked straight at virtual-novel.net with suggestive eyes. “Oh, the art of warming a bed isn’t just this step, you know. Besides, what are you trying to do, asking a manly man like myself to carry a little baby in his arms all day?”