06

Arthur was in his office at home after they reached home and he got changed into sweatpants and a loose t-shirt.

He had helped Emily to tuck in Amity to bed. His little girl had fallen asleep in her car seat on the way to home. Who to be blamed, when she tired herself from running around her grandparents’ place and talk so much!

He had some office files to look at. He had his desktop on and browsed through his not so active social media and checked emails.

Then the name caught his eyes. Jake McCarthy.

An old friend from college had sent Arthur, his wedding invitation.

Arthur was a full-on party-goer in his college days. Thanks to the gang of friends he got himself involved with. It’s not like he ever regretted making friends with them.

Arthur couldn’t think straight. He wasn’t sure if he would be attending the wedding. And he was more than curious to know who all were going to attend the wedding. More like wanting to know if that person who he knows very well is attending the wedding.

With much hesitation, he brought his hand on the keyboard to type the email to know if that person who he craves to see, is coming to the wedding or not.

Just when he was about to hit the send button, his office door opened.

He looked at the door. Emily it was.

“Are you still busy?” she asked, making way inside his office and settling on the chair in front of his desk.

“Just a little bit,” he said nervously. He was worried about Emily coming around to his side and peeking at his desktop.

It is not like he was cheating on her but still, he felt guilty.

It is also not like he doesn’t love Emily. He loves her, just not as a husband should. His love for her is more like an eternal and friendly way. He never got the courage to reveal his true self in front of her. He just didn’t want to hurt the woman who has been a part of his life from the moment he joined the company and immersed and forced himself only to work. She had always been there for him and understood him regardless of the situation.

“When will you come to bed? I am sleepy.”

“Alright, let’s go.” With that, Arthur shut down his computer, and the email which he had typed, was automatically sent to the drafts in his email.

He followed his wife to their bedroom and they were soon drawn to sleep, with Emily laying her head on Arthur’s chest and his hand draped around her body.

The next morning, Arthur found himself with the email from his friend, again. His contemplation about attending the wedding was beyond the bars.

It was Friday and he was ready to start the last day before the weekend. He only had a few files to check at work, nothing more. So he had planned to come home early and spend time with his little family. And not get distracted towards anything else. He had a little small of his and he didn’t want to ruin it. He didn’t want to give his heart the choice to decide.

He was staring at his phone screen when Emily and Amity came to the living room.

Amity was fully ready, with neat uniform and hair tied into a ponytail and packed school bag. She was good to start her day at the school.

“Hey, Papa,” she greeted Arthur, sitting on his lap.

He adjusted in his seat, so he wouldn’t wrinkle her uniform. In her white uniform, Amity looked like a fairy.

“Hey, Princess. You ready for the school?”

“Yes. I am ready for the weekend,”

Arthur and Emily looked at one another’s faces and laughed at their daughter’s words. She was rather ready for the weekend than to attend the school.

Amity looked at Arthur’s phone. It still had the email open.

“What are you seeing on your phone?” she asked, curiously.

“Um.. this is an email,”

“Who has sent you?”

“Um… a friend from college,”

“Ohh.”

“What is in the email?”

Amity was a barely four year old and she had one heck of curiosity and questions.

“It’s his wedding,”

“Are we going then?” she asked, excitedly. She just had to get a reason to make her parents to move around.

“I don’t think so, Sweetie,” he intoned.

Amity pouted folding her hands to her chest, “Why?”

“Because….” Arthur couldn’t find a good reason to dismiss his daughter’s questions.

“Papa might be busy, Amy,” Emily said from the kitchen.

Arthur was glad that his wife unintentionally saved him.. or so he thought. Amity wasn’t buying it even a bit.

“Come on, papa. It’s your friend's wedding. We should go. I don’t know any of your college friends,” Amity listed some reasons so that her father would give into her plead.

Arthur left out an enormous sigh.

“So are we going?” Amity was beyond excited to travel. She just wanted something to do over the weekend.

“Fine. We are going,” he muttered.

Amity hopped down from his lap and did a victory dance.

“Yay!!! Mamma, we are going to papa’s friend's wedding. I have to buy a new dress,”

If you wanted to buy a new dress, you could have just asked Emily thought but didn’t dare to tell that to her daughter. If she did so, she was well aware the hell will break loose. Amity was super pampered, there’s no doubt in that.

Emily looked at Arthur, he was in deep thought. She was only aware that something happened by the end of his college year and he was forced to come and work at the company. But she never asked Arthur anything about it. She was sure, it held something he didn’t or wasn’t ready to talk about.

Arthur looked at his daughter, who was overjoyed by his decision to attend the wedding. He had no idea about who was going to attend the wedding or what will happen there. But for now, Arthur, Emily, and Amity were scheduled to attend Jake’s wedding.