Even a simple hairpin he bought on a whim to support a college student's startup at the subway entrance would be carefully treasured by me.
But honestly, those moments were rare.
"No, they're lovely and smell fantastic," I replied with a smile.
Arthur still seemed unsure.
He repeated himself, "Charlotte, let me say it again, Aria is just my junior from school. She has this dependency on me, and after spending so many years abroad, she's still adjusting to being back. I'm just being a responsible senior, that's all."
I looked at him playfully without saying a word.
A department can have anywhere from dozens to hundreds of people.
Did he treat everyone with such care?
As if remembering something, he took my hand. "I'm sorry about losing the baby, but we have to keep moving forward."
So, he still remembered that I had just lost a child.
Because it wasn't his pain, he could self-righteously demand that I move on.
But when I tried to move on, his heart began to waver.
He was looking at another woman.
"Maybe this child just came at the wrong time," I said.
He was about to say something more, but a sudden ringing interrupted him.
"The installers are here, right?
"You can't handle it alone, don't push yourself.
"These guys are slippery; wait for me, I'll be right there."
Arthur hung up the phone and rushed out without looking back. "I need to go to Aria's place; the furniture delivery guys are there. She can't handle it alone."
"It's okay, go ahead, don't keep them waiting."
I realized that when I decided to let go, I could be understanding, too.
My voice was drowned out by the sound of his footsteps down the stairs.
To save time, he didn't even wait for the elevator.
It was ironic. As an interior designer, Arthur never once visited the site. I was left to handle the renovation of our own home all by myself.
When I asked him for a design plan, he glanced at it briefly and said I could handle everything.
So, there I was, managing the entire renovation by myself, dealing with those crafty foremen, trying to prevent them from cutting corners.
By the time the renovation was finished, I fell seriously ill.
I visibly became more haggard, but Arthur didn't even notice.
He continued scrolling through videos, not even looking up, as he said, "It's just a house; there's no need to put so much effort into it."