The Annoying Little Thing
Alison quickly turned and closed the door, locking it. Then she sat beside him and took his large hand in hers.
"If it hurts, just say the word. I won't laugh at you, okay? Jack.” She looked at him with heartache and gently rubbed his fingers with hers.
Jack kept his eyes closed, his grip on her hand tightening.
"Alison... I..."
"Jack, it's okay." She moved her other hand to his lips.
"Silly girl, go take care of the children. I can manage here alone," he said.
"No, I'm staying with you," Alison whispered. "The children are waiting for you to get better. They miss you terribly."
"Ah..." He let out a pained roar and squeezed her hand hard.
He tightly shut his eyes and trembled with agony. In his delirium, he bit down on her finger.
Alison trembled with pain, but she didn't cry out. She freed her other hand from his grip and began gently smoothing his hair.
"Don't leave me, okay?" she murmured, pressing her cheek against his.
Time passed unnoticed until soft sunlight filtered through the window curtains and spilled onto the carpet, bathing the two in its warmth.
"Shall we set off fireworks together, Jack?" she asked.
"Mm, okay."
"We'll bring Sophia and Ethan, too, and of course our little one on the way." Her hand moved from his hair to the corner of his eye, trying to smooth away the crease.
Drugs were the demon lurking in every user's heart. Once tainted, it was hard to escape. But she believed her Jack could conquer it; he had always been different.
As time passed, Jack's tense legs gradually relaxed, and he released the finger he had been clenching in his mouth. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
"Do I look ugly now?" he asked.
"No, Jack. To me, you'll always be the most handsome man," she said sincerely.
He reached out to gently stroke her cheek—her skin was fair and delicate, though she had clearly grown thinner.
"I'm sorry, Alison," he said, his voice heavy with guilt.
She shook her head. “Jack, whatever happens, you have to tell me, okay?”
"Yes," he promised. "I understand."
He sat up, pulled her close, and kissed her hair.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Daddy, are you in there? Great-grandpa said you came back and that you and Mommy are both inside. Is that true?” Ethan's voice came through the door.
"Go open the door, Alison. Didn't you say that Sophia and Ethan missed me?"
"Let me pull you up. We'll go together.” She stood up, and held out her hand.
“Alison, what happened to your hand?” He grabbed her injured fingers and examined them closely.
"It's nothing. I just bumped it on the doorframe.”
"Don't lie to me. There are teeth marks. Did I bite you?” He looked at her with concern.
“No.” She pulled away forcefully. "Get up. Let's go see the kids. Otherwise, Sophia and Ethan will be banging on the door.”
He sprang up, picked her up, strode to the bed, and set her down gently. "Wait here. I'll have the kids play for a bit, and then we'll join them.”
Without waiting for her reply, he turned to open the door.
"Daddy!" the two little ones cheered in unison. "Daddy, you're finally back."