Chapter 276: An Apology
"No, not quite. Just gathering some thoughts, not wool," he said with a smile. "What’s up, little man?"
Adir gave him a suspicious once-over, clearly not convinced he was fully back on Earth, but then straightened and announced with authority, "Well, today you have to help me with bath and bed. Come on. Move it, move it."
Adam sighed, the sound coming out more resigned than annoyed. He knew very well that Adir didn’t really need help with either. The kid was fiercely independent—capable of brushing, bathing, and dressing for bed with minimal supervision. But Adam also knew exactly what this was: a well-planned diversion.
This was Melanie’s tactic.
She wasn’t going to talk to him. Not yet. Instead, she was assigning him to "duty" through Adir, sending a message loud and clear. That she was not going to talk to him. Adam turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of her as she picked up a few empty bowls from the table. Just as his eyes met her profile, she turned away.
He let out another quiet breath and rose to his feet. "Alright, boss," he said, ruffling Adir’s hair as he followed him out. "Lead the way. The food can wait."
It was only after Adam left the room that Melanie bowed her head and let out a shuddering breath, her eyes moist.
She knew she was being foolish, ’burying her head’ in the sand again, as Adam had once teased her about. But the truth was, she didn’t know what to do. Or even how to begin reacting. Her thoughts were a tangled mess of logic and emotion, pride and hurt, and somewhere beneath all of that, a dull ache that refused to go away.
She hadn’t planned to ignore him this long. She hadn’t planned anything, really. But once the silence had started, it had grown into something heavier. Like if she heard even a word, she might shatter whatever fragile balance she was managing to hold onto.