Chapter 62
Veronica’s POV
Outside the apartment – Early morning
I parked my car in the parking lot and we got out.
I took hold of Janet’s hand and stopped in front of the building.
I gazed at the building for a brief moment.
The building had aged since I left seven years back.
Before coming here, I had found out Jonathan has been renovating the building every year.
I was looking up when Janet suddenly let go of my hand and ran to the back of the building.
I was smiling but the moment I saw the painted swing, the fresh planted flowers p>
Tears welled up in my eyes.
Jonathan was allergic to dust so didn’t like gardening.
But he maintained the garden and the swing for us.
“Mommy!” Janet said with twinkling eyes.
“Look, daddy kept my swing p>
She tried to maintain a casual look, but her excitement was all too visible.
“Yes, he did,” I said as I wiped a tear that was going to drop out.
“Mommy,” Janet said as he began to swing herself.
“Are we going back home p>
I took a deep breath.
I came back after a gap of seven years.
But there was still one more door I had to open to decide if ever I was to come back to this once my home.
With that I took hold of Janet’s hand and walked to the entrance of the building and walked up the stairs to the fourth floor where once was my home.
Finally I stopped at the door.
Apartment – Morning
Once I had the keys to this apartment, but I left them the day I left Jonathan.
Now I stood outside like a guest.
I raised my hand to ring the bell, but the door opened before I could touch the bell.
Jonathan stood in the doorway and looked like he hadn’t slept in ages.
“You came earlier than I expected,” he said. His voice was soft.
“How did you open before I even rang the bell p>
I said looking up to see if there was any CCTV there.
“I was waiting for you both at the window and saw you enter so p>
He trailed off.
I was speechless as he stepped aside.
“Come on in,” he said, wearing his shoes much to my confusion.
“I’ll step outside so p>
I exhaled as I realized he’s giving me my space and not pushing me.
“You’re not leaving are you p>
This was my regular question whenever Imelda called him.
The answer would always be, “Of course p>
I bit my lip recalling the obvious answer.
“I wish I hadn’t back then p>
My heart skipped a beat.
“Then stay,” I said and walked inside.
I looked around the apartment.
The furniture was the same. Curtains…same.
Even the smell of the apartment was the same.
“My paintings!” Janet ran past me. “They’re still on the fridge door p>
My eyes burned with emotion on seeing them. The paintings had faded and were turning yellow on the edges.
But they were still there, meaning only one thing.
Jonathan took care of them over the years.
“Everything is where you left them,” he said from behind.
I turned around.
“Why?” was the only thing I asked.
“You didn’t tell,” was his simple reply which confused me more.
“You always asked if something required change here.” he said in a frank tone.
“You weren’t here so how would I know,” he said continuing.
“As for the paintings,” A smile spread on Janet’s face the moment he said.
“I was hoping Janet’s new paintings could replace them p>
Jonathan picked up his coat again from the stand.
“I’ll go. Take your time,” he said.
“If you want to stay, I’ll book a room at the p>
“Jonathan,” I said, taking his coat from his hand and placing it back.
“You don’t have to leave. As for staying over, let’s see p>
“Are you sure?” he said hesitating.
I nodded.
“Janet wanted to see her room. Could you show it to her p>
Janet took hold of her father’s hand.
“Come on Daddy! Show me p>
It was a shift from before.
Before he would have left, now he stayed.
Was Imelda really responsible for making him leave us back then?
I stood in the doorway watching as Janet ran holding her father’s hand.
I saw the bedsheet was the same. Washed and ironed.
Her stuffed toys, also cleaned and arranged in a line.
“Daddy, you kept my toys p>
“Of course,” Jonathan said. “Each one was bought by your mother. How could I throw them p>
Then Janet went over and opened her closet.
Her clothes were also cleaned and hung in place.
There were new clothes of different sizes as well.
“Daddy, my clothes also, but these?” She pointed to the new ones.
“I didn’t know when you would come back so every year, I bought two dresses for safety p>
I kept a neutral look, even though inside something was collapsing.
I could see the details in the cleaning, the maintenance all pointing towards the man who has been waiting for seven years.
I ran my fingers over her small dresses.
I ran my hand over her small dresses. She was seven years old at the time.
“You even kept the clothes she outgrew p>
“The old clothes were her memory. The new ones were in her wait p>
“But don’t the small ones mean she’s outgrown them?”I asked in a curious voice as I wanted to know why he kept them.
“Keeping the older ones was to let me know my daughter is growing up. It was the only way I could see my daughter grow up p>
He had kept every stage of Janet’s growing up like a man who was terrified of forgetting his daughter is growing up somewhere in the world.
I shuddered for a moment.
“Did I do the wrong thing taking Janet away from him p>
“Mommy, look!” Janet’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
“My old paint set p>
” Jonathan brought new clothes every year to see Janet grow. Even though he never saw her wearing them. He really does love her. All the while I thought he didn’t p>
“You really loved Janet,” the words escaped from my lips on their own.
“I always loved Janet and I always loved you.” Jonathan said, voice cracking. “I just was so blind in thinking I was protecting you, when I was the one hurting you p>
I didn’t react. I just walked towards the window and saw the flowers I had planted on the window still.
“The flowers?” I said looking back.
“I take care of them. I have p>
I cut his words midway.
“I know. Lena told me about this. We’ve been watching p>
“Watching?” Jonathan froze.
“Yes,” I said.
“Even though I had left, I have been watching over you. I never stopped p>
Just then Janet came over and looked down.
“Mommy, can I go to the garden? Please can I p>
“Okay,” I said.
“Don’t go outside of the building,” Jonathan spoke in a worried tone like he always did seven years ago.
My heart sank as now I understood.
He wasn’t restricting her from playing, he was worried about the person who sent the message about killing me.
He was protecting her.
“I won’t daddy!” Janet ran out of the room.
Finally, for the first time in seven years I was alone with Jonathan.
The silence was heavy but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
“She’s grown into a fine girl,” Jonathan said.
“Yes,” I said. “She’s almost a woman p>
“Fifteen years,” Jonathan said. “I missed fifteen years p>
I understood what he meant.
“Only seven and that also I have on tape. You can watch them p>
“What?” he said with pinched eyebrows.
“The seven years she was here, you didn’t miss her completely.” I said
“As for the seven years she was away, I have it all recorded. You can watch them p>
We came out to the living room. I sat on the sofa while he sat on the chair across from me.
Maybe he was still thinking I didn’t want to be close to him.
I held in my smile.
“Janet thought about you every day p>
“She did p>
“Yes,” I said leaning back.
“She would paint you. Every day. Same face, same smile p>
Jonathan’s eyes filled on hearing this but he didn’t wipe his tears.
“Did you…did he hesitated but I knew what he wanted to ask.
The answer was hard as it carried different emotions.
“Everyday,” finally I spoke up.
Maybe what I was going to say next would hurt him but I had to.
“Every time I was angry because of you. Every time I hated you. Every time I think about what you did p>
I saw his face lose its smile and glow.
As if his life was taken away from him.
Again I forced my smile in.
“Every time I trailed off a bit. “I thought about our love, I missed you p>
His face lit up with hope.
Hope is what I want and not certainty as I myself wasn’t sure of the future.
I tried to change the topic.
“Jonathan,” I said. “Do you remember our first apartment p>
“The studio?” he asked. “The one with the leaky roof p>
“You would always try ways to fix it,” I ended up laughing. “But you only made it worse p>
“Yeah,” he replied laughing. “The water was everywhere. Even the landlord was angry.” he said
“Because of the repair expense, we had to eat instant noodles for a whole month.” I said.
“You never complained, even once.” he said, voice filled with emotions.
“I was happy back then. We were together and in love p>
I think we both were thinking of the time before we met Imelda.
Our love was simple and had no lies lingering around us.
“What happened to us?” I asked as tears rolled down my cheeks.
“Imelda happened.” Jonathan gave a frank answer.
“Ever since Imelda came into our lives,” I spoke. “I always thought you didn’t want us p>
Jonathan was about to say something, but I stopped him.
“I always thought no matter what happens, especially after the kidnapping, you’d always choose Imelda over me. Choose Adrian over Janet p>
“I never chose them for them,” Jonathan said.
“I had no option back then,” he continued.
“Choosing you over her meant letting the message person know you’re my wife,” he said.
“If I chose Janet over Adrian, questions would surface about me, about Adrian p>
Jonathan lowered his gaze.
“And I was worried once you found out the truth, you’d leave me. So, I thought once Imelda’s deal is over, everything would be fine p>
Choosing Janet over Adrian meant letting you know Adrian was mine. I knew you would never forgive me if you found out. Even if he was a mistake at the time, I did. I couldn’t bare to let you leave me p>
“Jonathan,” I said. “We both made our mistake of being silent. Today, you’re not the same man you were. And, I’m not the same woman I was p>
Janet burst through the door and fell straight into her father’s lap.
“Daddy! The kids said “get the swings painted every month, and do the gardening yourself p>
“Of course,” he said. “I wanted to keep your things the way they were p>
“Can I come and play here again p>
“This is your home,” he said. “You don’t have to ask me, but your mommy p>
“Mommy?” she said, looking up at me.
“Janet,” I said. “Daddy just said now this is your home. You can come and go as you please p>
I knew what Janet was up to.
Even if she never spoke a word over these past seven years.
She missed her dad dearly.
Now she’s trying to be the bridge between us.
“Mommy, it’s getting late.” Janet said. “Can we stay overnight p>
“Of course we can p>
Jonathan instantly got up, picked his coat and walked towards the door.
Janet ran towards him, hugged his waist.
“Daddy, don’t go p>
“It’s okay Janet,” he said, caressing her hair. “I’ll be back in the morning. “
Janet looked at me, but he didn’t.
As he closed the door behind him, I realized he had changed.
Tremendously changed.
He’s no longer the same man.
The man who once could move the world with his words, was afraid of his own actions around me.
I don’t know why but I walked over to our room.
My breath caught the moment I stepped inside.
My old dresses, my makeup, all clean, in place.
Tears rolled down my cheeks the moment my gaze fell on the bed sheet.
His side had a different one. But my side was the same bed sheet I had set seven years ago.
I touched my pillow, then his.
“He never changed it p>
I was practically crying.
Seven years p>
All because of one woman…Imelda.
All because of her lies.
My mind drifted to the first time I saw him at the auction.
He had gray hairs and lines on his face.
He looked older than he was, and had lost weight as well.
“He also suffered for seven years. Seven years of loneliness, of waiting, of loving ghosts p>
I clenched my fists.
For seven years I blamed Jonathan for everything that happened to us.
But today, standing in our bedroom, the room he has preserved like a shrine, I finally saw the real man who stood by me.
Imelda not only wanted to destroy me, but him as well.
To the extent she could be his only salvation.
“Imelda,” my voice was laced with venom. “You stole fifteen years from me, from Jonathan, from Janet p>
“You always wanted a war, Imelda. You shouldn’t have built your fortress on lies. You shouldn’t have ever let me know. Because now…I’m going to come for you p>
I walked out and saw Janet was painting with her old paint set.
She looked up at me and saw my red eyes.
“Mommy, are you okay p>
I smiled back. It wasn’t a warm smile, but a smile of a woman who is going to fight with another woman and take back what belongs to her…including her man.
“I will be.” I said. “Soon, we all will be fine p>