Chapter 8
Keith frequently appeared in front of the store again. He appeared on my way home from get off work. He placed 999 roses in front of the store. He also wore the clothes he wore when he first met me.
He confessed to me loudly.
His figure became thinner and thinner. The shirt that once fit him perfectly was now loose and hung on his body.
The little girl and I huddled in the corner of the coffee shop. The little girl asked me who this was.
I turned up the volume of my phone and read aloud, “An asshole.”
Then I laughed with the little girl.
Meanwhile, Keith still stopped me at my
door.
He asked me if I remembered that one winter, we had no money and bought a
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bowl of beef noodles, but no one was
willing to pick up the spoon first.
Later, when the beef noodles were clumped into a ball, we each took a bite. and finished the bowl of noodles.
He said, “I don’t want my family anymore. I don’t want anything. Ruby, can you come back to me?”
I looked at him with a smile. “Keith, you are so weird. When I was with you, you were entangled with Cynthia and when I broke up with you, you remembered our sweetness. What were you doing before?”
Keith was at a loss. “Ruby, I don‘ t know, I always feel that life is very long and I am the young master of Trivett Family. It seems that we are a couple for life and I will be looked down upon because no one in the circle is so clean. I don’t want to
hide my identity and be bullied like in high. school.”
I looked at him like he was a lunatic.
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“Keith, you are really sick.”
“Ruby, I have figured it out. I have always loved only you. For the sake of the child, can we be together again?”
I took out my headphones and was about to put them on, but they were snatched away by Keith.
“Ruby, I know you‘ re disappointed in me, but I’ve never cheated.”
I was a little angry. “Give it to me.”
Keith and I were in a stalemate and I spoke impatiently. “Keith, your definition of cheating is too narrow. You and Cynthia are always together, taking Cynthia to places. where I should be with you, ignoring my body, just to give her a perfect birthday. If these are not called cheating, then what is?”
Keith’s voice was a bit coquettish. He knew that I was the most susceptible to this in the past.
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“Ruby, please, for our son.”
I was angry and punched him in the chest and he staggered several steps.
I picked up the headphones on the ground.
“Didn’t I say, don‘ t threaten me, especially with our son.”
The barista passed by and the doll I hooked on his schoolbag swayed with his footsteps.
Keith rushed up and punched him like
crazy.
The barista was stunned by the disaster and punched him back.
Keith was lying on the ground in a mess, his cheek was scratched.
Just like when I first met him many years
ago.
“I forgot to tell you, our coffee master is at black belt in Taekwondo and the bookstore does not keep idle people.”
Keith curled up on the ground, looking like
Chapter 8
a broken drum.
I kicked him twice and when I saw him, I chuckled happily.
Yolanda called me and begged me to go.
back to see Keith.
She said that Keith had health problems. recently, always fantasizing and couldn’t sleep every night.
And the exchange for seeing him was to promise that his son could meet me at any
time.
Every day I showed up at the gate of Archer’s school with different handmade
works and Archer proudly took my
handmade works to give to his classmates.
“Look, this is the one my mother crocheted.”
Then he looked at me with puppy eyes.
“Mom, don‘ t crochet them. I think I am the only one who has the doll crocheted by my mother.”
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He held my hand and walked for a long time and then spoke carefully. “Mom, tomorrow is Saturday, can you take me and Dad to the amusement park together?”
I looked into his eyes, opened and closed my mouth several times but didn’t speak.
He pretended to be relaxed. “Mom, I understand you.”
I touched his head. “I’m sorry, baby, Mom can’t promise you. Mom said that she would never lie to you.”
“Mom, can you go back with me? I drew a picture for you.
