08; Eyes Tell

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Under the same roof, we cried out to You. With fingers intertwined, we praised You. You held us together to bless us with love.

—H.

❥⁠˙⁠๑

Him

The smiling face of Barak is like the prize of his life. He lives for that smile. He lives for his child's delight. Watching him riding his bicycle while making noise makes him chuckle every time he crosses the line and shouts;

"Daddy, I won!"

And then he goes to the starting point again while Adam watches him. This is the weekend and that's how Barak wanted to spend this day—with his father, outside.

They asked Evalena to come but she had a compulsory task to terminate. But Adam knew it was just an excuse to keep a distance from him. Or else, he knows she is one of the women who don't prioritize work over family.

Anyway, he couldn't compel her. He couldn't say anything to her when they had Barak as an audience.

Days have passed since that incident and Adam is seeing the outcomes of his mistake. Evalena has not been talking to him nicely since that incident and it irks him somewhere in his heart.

He doesn't like that!

The way Evalena ignores him is like letting a swarm of bugs crawl upon himself and watching it happen while he has limbs but he can't even use them like they're chained.

Adam feels vulnerable when being under the same roof, Evalena ignores him. He doesn't know how this all started but he has gotten used to her eyes on him every time and the way her body reacts to his nearness and sometimes his innocent touches.

But this all has not been happening lately.

His gaze leaves the elderly couple sitting on a park bench and he goes to sit upon a place where there is no one and he can keep an eye on Barak.

However, the ephemeral moment that tries to embrace him can't overpower for a minute as someone taps on his shoulder.

He looks at the person over his shoulder, finding the same man whom he watched talking with his wife happily.

"Hey, young man, greetings." The old man with silver hair smiles down at Adam.

"Hello," he replies, watching the man coming to sit beside him. He makes a place for him.

"I'm Benedict. I thought you should know the man you watched happily with his wife."

Adam steals his gaze, scratching the back of his neck. "I apologize," he says, "You two look pretty together. I couldn't help it."

"That's a very expected compliment!" Benedict waves off, "Your name, by the way, young man."

"This is Adam." He gives his hand for a shake which Benedict receives with a smile. He holds the firm hand of Adam with his weak and old skin that feels cold yet the warmth in his eyes surpasses everything.

"Diora—my wife caught you, actually, not me. You know women are blessed with this sharp ability but not us."

They chuckle. "You're right, sir," Adam says, searching for his son just to find him competing with someone else.

Benedict does the same. But for his wife. She is now talking with someone else. Her friend Isadora, if he remembers her name. And he recalls he has been sent here by his wife.

"And she saw through you. You look upset."

Adam sighs.

Benedict continues, "What we don't have, we mostly see in others. I just felt you were missing your wife."

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