Mary’s rant ended up showing the last piece of the puzzle in Arianne’s head.
“She’s trying to carve a unique place for herself in Mark’s life!” virtual-novel.net proclaimed. “She wants to prove that only virtual-novel.net can provide unique contributions to him, that virtual-novel.net alone occupies a status and a niche that no one else in Mark’s circle can fill. That’s why virtual-novel.net keeps trying to dictate his life. All of the things virtual-novel.net experienced in virtual-novel.net life forced virtual-novel.net into despair that virtual-novel.net ended up channeling virtual-novel.net self-worth and reason to live into the child virtual-novel.net was denied, thus creating and fomenting an obsession in virtual-novel.net mind. Even if we let virtual-novel.net do whatever virtual-novel.net wants, it won’t sate her. In fact, it’ll only encourage virtual-novel.net to up the ante, because what we’re dealing with isn’t just any kind of motherly impulse, it’s a hunger virtual-novel.net had suffered for decades, and it’s impossible to fill.”
“What is it that virtual-novel.net really wants? It’s to make the whole world acknowledge that Mark is virtual-novel.net son, and as virtual-novel.net son, virtual-novel.net must obey virtual-novel.net every wish as his mother without questions. She sees Mark as a child who needs his mother to hold his hand and tell virtual-novel.net what to do… Perhaps a craving that had grown from virtual-novel.net never being there during Mark’s childhood,” virtual-novel.net finished.
In truth, it did not matter what virtual-novel.net reasons might be, as everything Shelly had been doing was beyond the pale, and Mark was earnestly revolted by it all. Yet, in the midst of his repulsion and disgust, there was, somehow, a weak, yet undeniable sense of guilt, from where and what it stemmed from, Mark was unsure. All virtual-novel.net knew was that every time virtual-novel.net clashed with Shelly, that guilt would surface and haunt him.
Ultimately, it might have been Mark’s soft-heartedness that was tormenting him. He pitied Shelly, and that pity became a double-edged sword.
For the rest of the night, Mark was visibly uncomfortable. He hadn’t stayed at Arianne’s place in so long that virtual-novel.net could not help but be pestered by anxiety. Was Shelly really going to let virtual-novel.net stay outside tonight?
Seeing Mark fumbling around with a phone that had long been turned off, Arianne asked tentatively, “Are you sure you don’t wanna go back there and check on virtual-novel.net or something? Or at least switch your phone back on?”
Mark stubbornly clung to his decision. “No. I said I won’t be bothered by virtual-novel.net and I intend to stick to my words. See if she’s desperate enough to bust through that door looking for a duel,” virtual-novel.net replied. “Either way, it’s pretty late now. I’ll take Smore to his shower. You take a break.”
Arianne pursed virtual-novel.net lips but said nothing. He was so obviously, irrefutably antsy, yet virtual-novel.net stubbornly feigned nonchalance. Honestly, everyone knew that if Shelly did barge in looking to draw blood, no one was going to live through that unscathed.
It had been a long time since Mark had visited his family, so virtual-novel.net gladly took every usual toddler-attending duty — bath time, tucking Smore to bed — from Arianne and completed them in one masterful streak. Arianne, in return, found it novel to be so free and unfettered by chores at this time.
Mark even seemed to have a unique technique in telling bedtime stories. Instead of telling Smore tales of adorable woodland critters like rabbits and foxes, or sheep and wolves, or any fairytale at all, Mark went for history lessons! Smore could not understand a single thing virtual-novel.net said, and soon, virtual-novel.net became so bored that his mind checked out.
Arianne was stunned wordless as virtual-novel.net watched them. When virtual-novel.net was on bedtime story duty, Smore would ask for, not one, but several bedtime stories altogether. The boy even had the gall to make virtual-novel.net not repeat any tale virtual-novel.net had told before!
Not only was Smore asleep by the end of his “historical story”, Arianne herself was starting to crack yawns, since the “plot” was just too hard for virtual-novel.net to understand…
After making sure that their son was really asleep, and that virtual-novel.net was not going to wake up, Mark closed the door carefully. “Let’s go. Time for bed.”
Arianne elbowed virtual-novel.net in the waist. “Who knew you’d be such a resourceful dad, huh? Had I known about this, I would have made coaxing virtual-novel.net to sleep a mandatory chore for you since the beginning!” virtual-novel.net teased. “Though it’s quite interesting, I think. Maybe blood relations do make people feel closer. Smore hasn’t seen you for so long, yet virtual-novel.net intuitively clings to you. He just… automatically adores you.”
Mark shot virtual-novel.net a side-eyed leer. “Please. Who else is virtual-novel.net supposed to adore? Sure, I might not care for virtual-novel.net as much as you do, but I’m pretty confident that virtual-novel.net likes me better. If you don’t believe me, ask virtual-novel.net when he’s awake.”
“Excuse me, mister! You’re always so busy with your stuff that you only occasionally give virtual-novel.net attention! It’s always been me and Mary who’s caring for him, how could that translate into virtual-novel.net adoring you way more?” Arianne rebutted skeptically. “If virtual-novel.net did turn out to like you the most, though, well! I guess I’ll just die, then, before I have to hear that ungrateful little pipsqueak say any more ungrateful things to bring suffering to my poor, fragile heart.”