I did not answer and remain silent for the rest of trip. The car drove all the way to a fancy restaurant. Apparently, Adrian had gone all out, reserving a table and even arranging for flowers and a gift.

The scene was a picture of romantic bliss, complete with envious glances from other diners. However, before I opened the gift, Adrian's phone rang.

"Fever? Do you have any medicine?" he asked, answering the call. "I can't take you to the hospital today, I have something to do. What? That high? Okay, wait for me. I'll be right over."

Hanging up, Adrian turned to me, his eyes filled with a mixture of awkwardness and something I could not quite decipher. "Madeline, it's Sophie. Her child has a fever. I need to...."

I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat. "It's fine," I managed, my voice a monotone that surprised even me. "You should go. The child's important."

He stood up and hesitated for a moment before looking at me again. "Wait for me to come back and pick you up. I'll be back soon." With that, he hurriedly grabbed his coat and left.

I was left alone, staring at the half-eaten cake. Rain lashed against the windowpanes, mimicking the tears I refused to shed. After a sigh, I finished the cake, then got up and left.

A cab passed by and I hailed it to go home. However, I did not bring an umbrella, and there was still a bit of a walk from the entrance to our apartment building. The drizzle hit my face, making it very cold.

After I got in and took a shower, I saw Sophie's tweet with a picture. It was Adrian accompanying her and her child. The warm yellow light in their room was a stark contrast to the coldness of the rain outside.

Part 5

Adrian did not come home until the next morning. As soon as he came back, he started explaining, "Jesse had a high fever all night. It wouldn't go down."

Jesse was Sophie's child. To my ears, the name felt like a foreign word.

"Is everything okay now? Why didn't you stay longer? It must be hard for Sophie to handle a sick child alone," I asked after offering a curt nod.

Adrian paused mid-motion when taking his coat off, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. "Are you being sarcastic again?" He sighed, the sound heavy with weariness, real or feigned, I could not tell. "Look, I didn't sleep all night. I'm very tired."

"Then you should get some rest. I'm going to work." I turned around and reached for my bag.