Derek's POV
The spacious bedroom was only lit by a wall lamp.
Wearing thin pajamas, Tabitha was barefooted and curled up in the corner.
She looked terrified, which made my heart wrench. I swiftly ran to her.
"Tabitha, what happened to you?"
She threw herself into my arms at once, as if I was her lifesaver.
When I looked at her tear-stained cheeks, my heart ached badly.
"It's alright. I'm here," I said, still damp from the snow, but Tabitha didn't mind.
She tightly grasped my arm with both hands and said, "Tell me, how did our pups die?"
"Why do you bring this up again?" I gently wiped away the tears from her face.
"I guess I saw someone jump from a high place."
I comforted her while gently patting her back, "That night, there was thunder and lightning, heavy rain, and the road conditions were extremely poor. On the mountain road, the car lost control and plunged into the sea. Is this the image you had in mind?"
Tabitha shook her head, muttering to herself, "I don't know, I don't know anything. I just feel so much pain in my heart. Every time I think about the past, my head hurts. It hurts so much that it's about to explode."
I held her head tightly and said, "Don't think about it anymore. It's all over. I don't want to mention those things to you because I'm afraid it will hurt you.
"Tabitha, you have me. Let's not dwell on the past anymore, okay?"
Tabitha slowly calmed down in my arms. She sobbed a few times and then stopped crying.
She wasn't wearing shoes. I couldn't help but say, "It's warm inside the house, but you shouldn't walk around barefooted. You'll catch a cold and you're pretty weak already."
"I know. But I didn't see you when I woke up, and it was thundering outside again. I didn't know what was happening, but I felt really scared at that moment. So, I looked everywhere for you."
"I'm sorry. Next time, I won't leave you alone without noticing you."
I blamed myself and bent down to pick her up. Then, I brought her back to bed. "Next time, if you can't find me, just call me or Alvin immediately. You won't bother me. You're my wife, and you can tell me anything, okay?"
She snuggled in the warm blanket. I poured her a glass of water and said, "You've been crying for so long. You must be thirsty, right?"
Tabitha cleared her throat. Although she stopped crying, her eyes were still red, like a cute rabbit.
"It's so late. What happened at the construction site?"
"It's nothing important. But I'm in charge of the site, so I need to check it to make sure things are OK," I casually mentioned, and then took off my coat.
Tabitha looked at my black wool coat and asked, "Why are there wood shavings on your clothes?"
I casually replied, "I guess I got them from the site."
She didn't press further.
I settled back beside Tabitha and pulled her into my arms. "It's still early. You should get some more sleep. How about I read you a story?"
"OK." She snuggled against me like a startled rabbit, listening to my deep voice lull her into sleep.
I found that she relied on me more and more. After these past few days of getting along, she let her guard down and gradually got used to having me around.
These couple of days, I had been wearing the wedding ring even when I was taking a shower. Guessed my actions had moved her, making her realize how crazy in love with her I was.
My fingers gently stroked through her hair like she was my most precious treasure.
Her small hands trembled as she wrapped them around my waist.
My body stiffened, as this tiny gesture symbolized that Tabitha was starting to open up to me, accepting me fully into her life.
My heart raced with joy as I tried to hold back the smile creeping onto my face.
"And so, the prince and princess lived happily ever after as a perfect couple."
I looked down, only to find Tabitha had fallen asleep. So I planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.
I swore inwardly, 'Tabitha, we'll live happily ever after too, just like the protagonists in a fairy tale.'