The Spring She Grew Into

Adrian swung the door open the next day to find Janice surrounded by boxes, packing up her life.

They had shared that room, and everything in it, for four years since their college days. From the bulky couch to the tiny vase on the shelf, they had picked out each piece together. Even while he was away for two years, she had not been able to part with any of it.

At this moment, sorting through the memories and the mess was a bigger job than she had expected.

Janice did not run up to greet him like she used to, and Adrian's smile quickly turned into a scowl. He dropped his suitcase with a thud.

"Too much trouble to pick me up from the airport, and now you can't even help me with my bags?"

Janice nearly rolled her eyes. She used to camp out at the airport three hours early, treating his return like a royal visit. This time, after what happened? Things were different.

Her nails dug into her palms as she shoved another photo frame into a box.

This time, he had told her not to bother with the airport, because he was too busy proposing to another woman.

The sight of the red scratch behind Adrian's ear was like a needle to Janice's heart. "I'm busy," she said, her voice as cool as the air between them.

Adrian's gaze swept over the half-empty room, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Wow, did you clean the place up just for me?"

He had clearly forgotten the girl who once could not twist open a water bottle, then scrubbed his dirty socks clean without a second thought.

He reached out to pull her close, but the sickly-sweet smell of his perfume made Janice's face scrunch up in disgust.

"Why do you reek of women's perfume?" She turned away, her voice icy.

A flicker of discomfort crossed Adrian's face.

"On the flight back, I was stuck next to this lady who went overboard with her perfume. I was beside her for over ten hours, and the scent nearly knocked me out. Must've clung to me."

His explanation was riddled with holes.

He always flew solo in first-class, and that perfume? It was the latest craze last month, with every girl on Facebook flaunting their samples. No way an older lady would wear that.

"You're just being petty and jealous!"

Adrian wrapped his arms around her, his smile loaded with unspoken words: "Why don't I let you do a full-body check right now?"

"Don't you dare touch me!" Janice shoved him away without a second thought.

Before, she might have playfully punched him for being a tease, but after he had been with another woman, his touch repulsed her.

Adrian's eyes bulged, his patience snapping.

"All this over a whiff of perfume? You're making a scene? I've been on a plane for hours, I'm exhausted!"

Janice did not have the energy to call out his lies, so she made up an excuse. "I've been slammed with work, not feeling great."

Dark circles marred her face from a sleepless night, her appearance worn and weary.

Adrian finally noticed Janice's pallor and reached out to feel her forehead.

"You look awful. Caught a cold? I'll carry you to bed."

However, before he could act, his phone blared to life.

Janice caught a glimpse of the screen and spotted that name–Yvette Ellis.

Adrian scrambled to the balcony, his voice a hushed whisper as he tried to soothe someone through the phone.

"Missing your own bed, can't sleep?

"I wouldn't dream of it. I won't lay a finger on her!

"Okay, okay, I'm on my way to you, sweetheart."

Janice watched his shadow stretch out in the moonlight and was hit by a wave of nostalgia. She remembered how, in the early days of living together, he kissed her forehead every morning and murmured, "Good morning, sweetheart."

Once Adrian ended the call, he snatched his jacket and bolted, "Some trouble at work, and I've got to check it out. You get some rest, don't wait up."

The door banged shut, and Janice, alone in the quiet room, let out a laugh.

She pulled out her phone and picked out a few pictures of men's suits, sending them his way.

[Which one of these suits do you like?]

He texted back immediately, [Any of them, my suit just needs to go with your wedding dress.]

[Fine.]