Chapter 19 - Trying to fix what's broken
Olena put down the book she was reading and sighed. She and Robert have been on a silent war for almost a month and she was getting tired of it.
Not that Robert was treating her badly. He was still courteous and kind, as always. But the comfortable warmth and sense if familiarity wasn't there, anymore.
She felt like she was living with a polite stranger, and she hated it. At least before, they were friends.
Levi was also starting to ask questions, like why she or Robert always come home late recently. His grandparents would pick him up from school and he would stay with them until Robert picks him up.
She went home early today so she could spend time with Levi but they were not back yet.
Her phone buzzed with a message and she saw it was from Robert.
"Just about to leave my parent's house. We'll be there in maybe half an hour if traffic's not bad."
"Okay. Don't forget to secure the car seat," she texted back.
If she wanted their war to end, Olena knew she had to be the one to reach out first. It has always been that way, and it doesn't look like it will change anytime soon so she might as well give in.
It's not because Robert is too proud, it just doesn't bother him as much so he can hold out longer. He'd rather wait it out quietly even if it takes a long time than engage in a discussion and end the issue quickly.
Olena was not built like that. She would be much happier to have problems addressed quickly, even if it meant going through a fight to get there.
It was surprising they even became friends at all, considering how different their values and perspectives in life were.
But Olena had liked Robert's stable demeanor, and she guessed Robert was drawn to her fighting spirit.
And here we are, Olena thought to herself.
Deciding to do it tonight, she went to the kitchen and took out her baking tools. Her chocolate chip cookies were a favorite in the house and she knew it would soften Robert up.
She also knew Robert would understand that it's a peace offering.
As she prepared the oven and made the cookie dough, Olena thought of her little family.
Her friends and even her mentor had been against her marriage in the beginning. Not because they hated Robert, no, but because they felt that Olena was "settling for less" - their words, not hers.
They knew she and Robert were not in love, but Olena believed marriage is about partnership, and what's more important is to find someone she could live with under the same roof for the rest of her life.
What better choice than a good friend, right?
Years later, she was starting to understand what they all meant. It wasn't just about partnership after all, it was supposed to be more, to mean more.
But she was not ready to give up yet.
Robert was a good man and a good partner, and they both loved Levi. That has to be enough.
The familiar sound of a car horn broke through Olena's thoughts and she hurriedly placed the molded cookie dough inside the oven before going outside to open the gate.
"Mmmm... Mommy it smells so good!" Levi was always quick to pick up the tiniest smells from the kitchen.
"Are you making cookies for me?"
"Yes, baby. For you and Daddy."
Olena looked at Robert and smiled. Thankfully, Robert smiled back.
And just like that, their cold war was over.
Levi was jumping excitedly around them, oblivious to his parents' silent exchange.
"Are they done yet?"
"You go get changed with Daddy and the cookies will be ready for you when you get back."
"Okay, Mommy! Come on Daddy," Levi grabbed Robert's hand and pulled him away.
Olena watched them both go, feeling a pinch in her heart at how close their father-son bond was.
She never experienced a real relationship with her father because he was either drunk or angry whenever she saw him back then.
Maybe that's why her relationships were so screwed up as an adult.
Olena was even more determined to give Levi the best childhood years, with a complete family.
She took the cookies out of the oven and placed them in front of the electric fan so they would cool down faster. Levi was going to be back soon and will be demanding for his cookies.
As if on cue, she heard his small footsteps heading to the kitchen a minute later.
"I'm back! Can I have my cookies now, Mommy?"
Levi entered the kitchen dressed in his pajamas, followed by Robert.
Olena took a small plastic bowl from the drawer and placed a few pieces of cookies for Levi. Then she handed a cookie to Robert.
As she watched her two boys happily munching over their cookies, Olena felt at peace.
Yes, they can make it work as a family, Robert and her. Their son was happy, and that makes everything worth it.
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They were resting in their bedroom when Robert suddenly called out to her.
"Honey, there's a holiday coming up. How about going on a trip next weekend?"
Olena briefly checked her calendar and nodded.
"Well, we don't have anything major at work now so I can probably go. What did you have in mind?"
"I'm thinking of heading to the beach for a couple of days. You know Levi loves playing in the sand."
"Okay, sure. You'll take care of the bookings?"
Robert gave her a thumbs up and was busy browsing on his phone, looking for resorts a minute later.
Maybe this is what we need, Olena thought to herself. To have fun as a family, make memories together. Maybe we've been working too hard and just haven't had time to bond, that's why we've lost sight of our friendship.
For some reason, Patrick's face suddenly flashed in her mind. What was that quote he shared with her again?
She tapped on her messenger and looked at his last message:
"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds."
She thought then that she wanted that kind of love. But she was not one of the lucky ones to have found it.
But there are different kinds of love, right?
What she had with Robert was precious, too. It was a love that was comforting and familiar and nice.
Not everyone gets to find the kind of love that Noah and Allie had. Maybe it doesn't even exist in real life, that's why the concept sells so well in books and movies.
But this was real life. And in real life you have to make choices that affect other people.
In real life, you can't always choose happiness.