All Irene wanted to do was sleep, as if the ridiculous hope within her made her believe that she could sleep these moments away and she would wake up at the same time her father did.
Even when she woke up hours later in the evening to darkness settling in over the north central region, she felt groggy, knowing she could fall asleep again.
However, there was someone waiting for her. She knew that being beside him would be much better than being alone. She forced herself to get out of bed, and she found the mirror that she had gotten herself together in many times before in her life.
She couldn't help thinking she looked particularly old. There was weight under her eyes. She looked sick.
What she wanted was to present her husband with the vibrant woman he had been promised, but she couldn't offer him that for now—not since their bubble of happiness burst. She pressed on, knowing that he would love her all the same.
When she exited her room, her mother was passing by.
