Through It All

TWENTY FIVE

The trip back to Lakewood felt like an eternity. As Adam boarded the train very early in the morning, the excitement of being back with his wife made him giddy.

The train was half empty, which gave him a chance to think without noises interrupting his thoughts. His thoughts were mainly about his father. About the things he caught him doing, was he always this way? Was he always unfaithful? He always had this deep admiration for his father, he was a hard worker, a success in the carpentry business, and, Adam thought for the longest time, an honest man.

He wonders if his mother knows about his affairs. If she does, he wonders if she's unhappy or does she just accept things as they are.

He looks out the window at the rising sun, the yellow orange light coming from behind the gray mountains almost blinding his eyes, but he can't look away. He wonders what Sophia's doing. Was she awake waiting for his arrival or was she sound asleep peacefully knowing that he will come home soon? Was she missing him as much as he missed her? Was she able to go on with her day without thinking of him?

He rubs his sleepless eyes and decides to take a nap, the trip back will surely go faster if he was unaware of it.

"Pardon me, Adam?"

Adam opens his eyes rapidly, the sunlight blinding his eyes. "What are you doing here?" He asks as he sees Daniel sitting in front of him.

Daniel in his brown suit and his blonde hair neatly combed back, gives him a smile. A smile that Adam wants to erase. Last time they spoke, it was a few days before the wedding, when Daniel was trying to corrupt Sophia's reputation.

"I was looking for you," Daniel says sitting comfortably. "I went to New York but you were no longer staying at the West Hotel. Your father told me you left to the train station."

Adam looks up at him trying to figure out the purpose of all this, but he doesn't say a word.

Daniel, feeling a bit awkward, continues, "I miss my friend, you see." Adam doesn't budge. "I know that you are still angry with me, with my history with your wife..."

"No." Adam interrupts. "I'm angry because you thought you could come to me with lies about my wife."

Daniel nods. "Okay, yes. I admit it, but I only did it because I wanted her for me, I loved her, you know."

"Did you really?" Adam asks suspiciously.

"Yes, I really did. Come on Adam, you know her enough to know that Sophia is a very special girl."

Adam can't argue against that. "You were married Daniel, why would you even approach her?"

Daniel shakes his head like trying to understand himself. "Because she was different. At the Christmas party, she was the only one not dancing, she sat by her mother watching everyone with such awe, I just had to speak to her."

Adam tries to remember her from that party but can't. His memories always leading to the sister. He wishes it could've been him that noticed Sophia and not Daniel.

"You should've seen her eyes when I asked her for a dance. They illuminated her face, like she couldn't believe her luck," Daniel continues. "And while we danced, she was so easy to talk to, she was not pretentious or judgmental, she was just a girl enjoying every moment."

Adam doesn't reply. She sounds remarkable.

"Then I would find her down the streets, or the market and all I wanted was to be by her side."

"Where was your wife in all of this?"

"She was in her hometown. She was pregnant, so we thought it was better for her to stay with her mother until the baby was born."