Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Still, she moved quietly out of habit.
A dim lamp cast a soft glow in the foyer, making her heart skip a beat.
Was he really here?
It didn’t seem possible.
Kicking off her shoes, she cleared her throat gently, testing the silence.
In an instant, Cade bounded out of the room, tail wagging and tongue out.
He circled Alicia’s legs and leapt into her arms.
Nearly losing her balance, she let out a small laugh and hugged him, settling into a chair as she shushed him gently.
Cade, ever obedient, immediately calmed down, his eyes on hers.
Alicia whispered, “Is your father home?”
Cade tilted his head, clearly confused by Alicia’s question.
With a sigh, Alicia told the dog to be quiet.
The house was quiet, enveloped in silence.
It seemed that Caden wasn’t really home.
The light in the entrance must have been left on all morning – a habit they both shared.
Relief washed over her, mixed with a pang of sadness.
Was it always going to be like this? Should they just spend days avoiding each other, only to pretend nothing had happened when they finally crossed paths again?
The following days were lonely.
Alicia spent every night alone, her anger giving way to longing.
At first she missed him and the sound of his voice.
But soon she found the situation almost absurd.
With Caden’s unyielding pride, she knew he would never be the one to make the first move.
He would rather enjoy the quiet distance than confront her problems.
That afternoon her phone buzzed with a message from Blake.
“I’ll be in Warrington soon.
Are you free for dinner?” Alicia blinked, momentarily taken aback.
Blake had been assigned by Caden to another city as General Manager and rarely visited Warrington, maybe once a month at most.
It felt wrong to refuse, so she agreed.
Blake’s reply came quickly.
“Could you come to the airport? I’m picking out a present for Ray, but I’m not sure he’ll like it. You know, he listens to you best, so I need you to come with me your opinion.”
“Sure,” Alicia texted back, a small smile forming on her lips.
Just then her phone rang.
It was Gerry.
“Alicia, how about dinner tonight?”
“Maybe another time,” she replied.
“I’m busy tonight.”
“Come on,” Gerry urged.
“Caden’s here too. He asked me to invite you.”
Alicia paused, her expression hardening.
“If Caden wanted to have dinner with me, he should’ve asked.
I’m not coming.
You two enjoy yourselves.”
“Alicia, wait, it’s not…” Gerry started, but she ended the call before he could finish.
He sighed and shook his head.
Why did he always end up in the middle of their arguments?
Minutes later, Gerry was behind the wheel, speeding to the airport.
He was there in half an hour and spotted Caden, who had just arrived.
Gerry approached him.
“What kept you so busy in another town? It sounds like you and Alicia had a fight.”
Caden’s expression was tired but determined.
He had travelled to buy her a gift, an attempt to make amends.
“Where’s Alicia?” he asked, his eyes scanning the terminal.
Gerry shrugged.
“She said she was busy and couldn’t make it.” Caden’s brow furrowed as he grabbed his suitcase and prepared to leave.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar figure moving through the crowd.
It was Alicia.
Blake had also just arrived.
Alicia stood deep in thought, her mind filled with images of Caden, her hands in her pockets.
Unconsciously, she didn’t notice that the person she was thinking about was nearby.
Caden’s expression softened.
“Didn’t you say she was?
Gerry was equally confused.
“She told me she was busy on the phone.” A realisation hit him as he spoke.
“Are you two pulling a fast one on me? Pretending to be busy, but actually meeting in secret? Wow, you guys are really setting me up!”
Caden remained silent.
Alicia didn’t seem like someone who would play games like that.
They hadn’t communicated for several days because Caden had deliberately given her some space.
He thought she would be more upset.
Why would she pull a prank on Gerry and surprise him? Even though he was tired from the quick trip back and missed her a lot, Caden didn’t dwell on these thoughts.
He just started walking towards Alicia.
All he wanted to do was hug her.
But after a few steps, Caden stopped abruptly when he saw Alicia waving to someone, her back to him.
He was momentarily stunned.
Looking beyond Alicia’s silhouette, he tried to see who she was greeting.
Blake was approaching, suitcase in tow, a broad smile on his face.
Alicia didn’t move to greet him; she remained standing, her hands still in her pockets.
Caden couldn’t see her face, but he sensed she was smiling.
They were close.
Although Alicia was unaware of Caden’s presence, Blake saw him.
But Blake’s attention was focused on Alicia, oblivious to his surroundings.
His behaviour remained cautious.
When he reached Alicia, they kept a polite distance as they spoke.