Chapter 6
Chapter 6 Unanswered Calls
The door opened. Charles flipped the light switch without thinking. The room was instantly engulfed in darkness. As he untied his robe, he said, “It’s late. Let’s begin. I’ve got things to do later.” Light from the hallway crept in, barely illuminating the figure in the doorway.
Barbara stiffened at Charles’s words. “Mr. Logan, it’s just me,” she whispered, lingering nervously in the doorway.
Charles was momentarily stunned. Realizing his mistake, he turned the light back on and looked at Barbara, his tone laced with confusion. “She hasn’t returned yet?”
Barbara’s forehead glistened with sweat as she shook her head. “Not yet, Mr. Logan.” The room’s air turned leaden with tension. Noticing Charles’s displeasure, Barbara added, “Mrs. Logan is normally home by six. Maybe something came up tonight?” Her voice trailed off uncertainly.
Charles understood her kind intention but only replied with a terse, “Got it.” When Barbara was about to remind him to sleep early, he abruptly sat up, leaving her words unspoken.
Five minutes later, Charles changed his clothes and left Brocade Villa. Barbara saw him off downstairs, a nagging sense of forgetting something tugging at her.
It wasn’t until Charles’s car disappeared from sight that she remembered Teresa had mentioned something in the study.
Charles had just pulled out of Brocade Villa when his phone lit up with Naomi’s call. “What’s wrong?” he answered, his unusually gentle expression softened further by the dim interior light.
Naomi’s voice came softly through the phone. “Charles, I have an important performance tomorrow, but Yolanda’s preschool is having Family Fun Day. I don’t think I can make it.”
Charles didn’t even consider asking Teresa first. “Teresa will go,” he said, deciding for her like he always did.
“Thank you,” Naomi replied, her voice lifting with relief. “I’ve already discussed it with Yolanda. Would you mind passing the message along to Ms. Sullivan when you get a chance?”
Charles said, “Don’t worry. Just focus on your performance.” Hanging up, he pulled the car over to the side of the road.
After checking his call list for a long time, he still couldn’t find Teresa’s number. That was when he realized she hadn’t called him in months.
For years when Teresa stayed home with Yolanda, she called every day to ask if he would be home for dinner. He only occasionally returned, just to see their daughter.
After they talked about having another baby, she still frequently called to check if he was coming home. He often ignored her calls, either hanging up or letting the phone ring. But when he needed to reach her, her number was right there in his phone.
But now when Charles kept scrolling through his call log, her number was nowhere to be found. When he finally spotted it, the last call showed it was 3 months ago. Charles couldn’t even remember if he had answered that one.
Without hesitation, he dialed that number, only hearing an automated message saying the call could not go through. This had never happened before. Surprised, he tried again but got the same result. After several failed attempts, he finally gave up.
He thought about video-calling Teresa on WhatsApp but couldn’t find her contact. Left with no other option, he sent a text, [Yolanda has a Family Fun Day at her school tomorrow. She wants you there. East Street Preschool, at 2 pm.] With the message sent, Charles drove away.
Charles assumed Teresa must be busy, which explained the missed calls. He was sure she would see the message and take Yolanda to the event. Content with this thought, he let his worries go.
*****
At 9 pm, Teresa finished her evening shift at the village school. Exhausted, she trudged back to the teacher’s dorm, washed up, and collapsed into bed. Her silenced phone lay untouched beside her. She didn’t check it before falling asleep.
The next morning, Teresa was awakened by a sound from her phone. Still half-asleep, she picked it up and saw it wasn’t an alarm but a calendar reminder about her father-in-law’s birthday tomorrow.
In previous years, she would have woken up early to go to the morning market for groceries. Then she would spend the entire day cooking fancy dishes for the birthday dinner party.
But this year was different. She decided not to do that anymore. After closing the reminder, she put down her phone and went back to sleep for a while longer.
*****
Today was Friday. Teresa finished work at 2 pm. Before, she had only remembered her father-in-law’s birthday, forgetting it was also her dad’s special day.
But this year, she would head back to her parents’ house tonight and cook a hearty meal for her own family tomorrow. As for Charles’s text, it had long been buried under a flood of notifications.
*****
Teresa arrived at her parents’ place at 6 pm, just in time for dinner. Walking into the living room, she saw the whole family were there.
Monica Sullivan, deep in her puzzle, jumped when a figure appeared in the doorway. Squinting for a better look, she suddenly recognized her long-absent aunt. The puzzle pieces scattered as she sprinted across the room and clung to Teresa’s legs. “Aunt Teresa, you’re back!”
Teresa dropped to her knees and gathered Monica into a fierce hug, pressing a kiss to the child’s cheek. Words choked in her throat, her eyes stinging as she fought back tears.
Monica locked her arms around Teresa’s neck, smacking a loud kiss on her aunt’s cheek. Then she yelled toward the kitchen, “Dad! Mom! Aunt Teresa’s home!” Hearing the words, Theodore Sullivan and Yvonne Wesley emerged from the kitchen.
Theodore’s face lit up at first glimpse of Teresa, but the joy evaporated instantly. Noticing his stern expression, Yvonne gave him a subtle elbow nudge before turning to Teresa with a warm smile. “Just in time. Dinner’s about to be served.”
Monica walked towards Yvonne, tugging her mother’s sleeve. “Mom, Aunt Teresa’s favorite is prosciutto. You said we had to save it till she visited. Now can we have some?”
Yvonne tapped Monica’s nose with a chuckle. “Such a greedy girl. Alright, we’ll have some today.” Monica squealed with delight, her tiny hands clapping and ponytails swinging wildly with every jump.
Theodore kept his eyes averted from Teresa, his disapproval settling on Monica instead. “Don’t waste your affection on those who don’t appreciate it,” he grumbled under his breath.
Teresa’s family had always loved her. But she threw herself into serving the Logans, never getting so much as a thank you. They took her for granted while her real family suffered. Actually, she was too ashamed to come back tonight.
But she knew the love from her family was always there. Her brother and father might act tough, but they cared deeply. Her mother never stopped waiting for her. Her sister-in-law was always kind and understanding. And her niece was so adorable.
It was time to hold on to those who really loved her. The coldness of the past was only worth leaving behind.