AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You mean found?”
Her eyes widen for a brief second before she schools her features.
“It’s good to hear that you know of her past. But do you think that’s enough?” Sophia leans forward, her arms resting on the table as she continues in a hushed voice. “For Rose, every day is a challenge. She fights with identity crisis on a daily basis. Even after years of therapy and surgery, she’s not comfortable in her own skin and scars. She wears nothing other than those flannel shirts.”
My chest clenches at her nonsense. “In case you haven’t noticed, she’s not wearing a flannel shirt today, though I find her equally beautiful in those. And I’m very well aware of her issues.”
“Of course. That’s what you are, aware. What about experiencing them firsthand? Today you don’t mind her quirks, but what about when she can’t mingle as much with your family and friends?”
“She likes my brothers and they her. That’s enough for me.” And so is this bullshit. I’m all ready to leave, but Sophia isn’t yet done.
“What about when your brothers marry smart, socially adept girls who don’t want to waste their time around Rose? People often feel that way about her. What happens when people don’t let their kids play with yours because they think Rose is some kind of weirdo?”
“Stop.” I never imagined my meeting with Sophia to be this caustic. “What’s your problem? I thought you cared about her.” I can’t stop the lump rising in my throat.
Why does my Marr have such shitty relationships?
“I’m not going to take shit from anyone about her or our relationship. I don’t need to explain to you or anybody else how we’ll handle our future. She is a brilliant woman, and I’m lucky to have her.” I roll all my anger, hope, and love into words. “If luck favors me, that smart girl will someday share a life, and even a family, with me.”
I get up from my chair, no longer interested in knowing Sophia. Our small interaction is enough for me. Before I can march away, she says, “Sometimes I wonder where I went wrong.”
I’m momentarily distracted as my gaze lands on her hand resting on the table, playing with the golden band on her ring finger.
Why is she still wearing her wedding ring?
“Rose has missed a lot in her life, and most of it was due to the overprotectiveness of others, including me. She doesn’t need more of that in her life. She just needs to be loved and understood.”
I’m unable to comprehend this sudden shift in her behavior. For a fleeting moment, I worry about Sophia’s mental wellbeing as she gets up and stands beside me.
“It was nice meeting you, Zander. I’m sure I’ll see more of you.”
I’m still not sure what happened in the last five minutes and how I feel about this woman, who sounds a bit crazy and a bit guilty.
Sophia is already ambling toward the main hall when I call after her, “I’m going to propose tomorrow.”
She looks at me over her shoulder and smiles. “I know. You have my blessing, if that’s what you’re looking for.”
* * *
“Zander, I can manage.”
I ignore Marr’s protests and carry her inside the house. When we reach the soft plush carpet by her bed, I slide her down. “I know you can manage, but I like touching you any way I can.” My fingers glide over her soft cheek, and she lazily shuts her eyes. “How tired are you?”
“Not at all.” Her eyes immediately open wide, making me chuckle.
“Liar. It’s way past your usual bedtime. Come on.”
She again protests when I lead her to the bathroom. I bring the toilet lid down and situate her there before getting on my knees.
“What are you doing?” Marr tries to pull back her leg, which is tight in my grip.
“I’m helping you get ready for bed.” Unstrapping her low heels, I remove the sandals and place them just outside the bathroom door as she stays stuck in place with an open mouth.
I rummage through the cabinet under the sink until my hand grabs a pack of makeup wipes.
“Close your eyes.” I remove her glasses and gently wipe her face before working on getting off her eye makeup.
“I think it’s clean now,” she mutters when I’m on the third time of running the wipe over her eyes.
