Gary was stunned for a moment when he saw that I didn't cry, make a fuss, or apologize. Then he seemed to think of something and grabbed my clothes.
He almost made me fall.
"You're getting bolder these days. I just didn't spend time with Mia yesterday. What's the big deal? I've already taken the time to say happy birthday to her. What else do you want from me? You always make a big deal out of such things. Do you still want me to be your husband?"
"I see. It was a great blessing for Mia to hear her father say happy birthday to her!" I thought.
"I won't make trouble anymore, and I don't want you anymore!"
I rubbed my sprained ankle and answered him calmly.
Gary then realized that his action just now caused me to sprain my ankle. He squatted in front of me and said, as gently as he could,
"I don't want you to always act like a shrew in front of Linda. She was already sad about losing Willie. You know how much she loved that dog. She said that the puppies in Willie's belly were still alive, so I let Mia wait for you there. Mia understood my anxiety, and I promised her that if I rescued the puppies, I would let her have one. She also urged me to rescue the puppies quickly. Even Mia didn't blame me, so why can't you be more tolerant? I will go back early tonight to celebrate Mia's birthday. What do you say?"
It had been so many days. If Gary had ever returned home, he would have found that Mia was gone.
But all he cared about was Linda, and my daughter was nothing compared to a dog in his heart.
"That's okay. She won't be able to have any birthdays again."
After saying this, I stood up and left.
Even though my ankle was aching, I still pretended nothing was wrong.
I didn't want to show my weakness in front of someone who didn't love me. That would only give Gary more chance to hurt me.
Seeing that I wasn't listening, Gary lost his patience again.
"Can you please just listen to me? That's an unlucky thing to say. I will take time every year to accompany you and Mia on her birthday. As long as she wants me, I will do my best to satisfy her. Is that enough?"
Maybe it was my indifferent attitude that made Gary realize that something was wrong. I loved Mia so much. In the past, I would have been thrilled when he made promises to me and Mia, even though I knew they were all empty promises.