[From: Caleb :) ]
4:19 PM woah pips
4:19 PM I was on a mission, just finished up
4:19 PM I'll be home later, are you okay?
.
Caleb was a constant, grounding presence. He was off on a mission when you let yourself into his house. But since coming home, he hasn't left your side once. Even before you told him of your condition, he was insistent on taking care of you like always.
And after you told him? If you thought you were spoiled before, think again.
Of course he teared up when he found out you were expecting, but he will deny it if you ask.
Caleb, to his credit, didn't push you for details on what happened between you and Rafayel. But he was a smart man, and you don't doubt he must've figured it out between the various news articles and media coverage.
You only texted Rafayel once to let him know that you were safe, but haven't answered any of his texts or calls since then.
You weren't ready for whatever came next.
Blame the hormones, mercury being in retrograde, whatever. But you weren't emotionally prepared to go back to him yet.
Luckily, you didn't have to think that far with Caleb.
You didn't have to stress or worry about anything with Caleb, he made sure of that.
The first few days, you were a mess. Morning sickness had kicked in (which is a total lie because it doesn't happen just in the morning), and Caleb very nicely held your hair up and rubbed your back.
Caleb always had your back, that would never change.
Something in you had eased, shifting around to let you breathe again. And while you still felt anxious for whatever fate had in store for you and Rafayel, you took comfort in Caleb's presence.
Caleb would always be there for you, he made sure you knew that.
.
Rafayel didn't like to do many interviews for the media, Thomas usually had to bribe him to do one every few months or so. And yet recently, it does seem like he has accepted almost every interview request from almost every news outlet. You saw his face everywhere.
Every channel you flipped to, every article you scroll past on your timeline, every magazine had his face on it somewhere.
You'd think he was trying to tell you something, trying to reach you. But you brush that thought away.
"So tell us about your wife Rafayel, most of us didn't know you were married!" The interviewer laughs, clapping a hand on Rafayel's shoulder.
You huffed out a breath in annoyance. The show you were enjoying ended and cut to another reporter interviewing Rafayel.
The interviews were endless. Yet somehow they were always men, you had yet to see him interviewed by a woman. You wonder if that was intentional (it was, but you don't know that).
"Happily married, I will add." Rafayel winks at the camera. You roll your eyes, itching to change the channel. But you don't.
"Very well then, happily married. But if that's the case, then what is going on between you and Rita? She seems to have some strong feelings for you."
"Nothing is going on between Rita and I. We worked closely together over the past few months for the exhibition, yes. But absolutely nothing happened. I'm not sure how Rita got the impression that we were together, but it is completely unfounded." He spoke firmly. No waver or hesitation in his voice.
"Well, she had to get the idea from somewhere. You can't think of any instance where she would've...you know...gotten the wrong idea?"
"No." The answer was immediate, leaving no room for argument. Even the interviewer seemed taken aback by his intensity.
"Alright. I'm sure plenty of women throw themselves at you though, don't they?" The interviewer chuckles.
"I don't care about other women. I don't care if they 'throw themselves' at me or not. I only see my wife, and I only care about my wife noticing me. I am a faithful man, and I will not intentionally entertain anyone else." Rafayel was looking straight into the camera now. You've always loved his eyes, how couldn't you? They were so pretty, so expressive.
Now they were intense, determined. But you knew to look deeper, and you saw the desperation that hid underneath.
Your breath hitched. You knew he was sorry from the (approximate) 117 text messages he sent you. But seeing him so earnest made you start tearing up.
Because that was your Rafayel again. Not the one who blew you off for work. Or the one that came home late everyday. Not the one you barely saw while living with him. Or even the one that forgot your birthday.
No, he looked like the Rafayel you knew before.
The one that would give Thomas the lamest excuses to skip work in order to spend more time with you. The one who would buy you your favorite takeout and stop by randomly because he missed you.
The one who bought you flowers every week. Not just roses, but your favorite flowers, because he remembered. Because he wanted to make you happy.
The one who pouts when you cuddle your plushies because he's jealous. ("I'm right here cutie, what do you need that for?")
The one who cried on your wedding day, and then laughed when you almost tripped in the sand before catching you.
Your silly, dramatic fishie.
The man you married. The man you loved, and made you feel loved. The man who made you feel like you were enough.
Was he still there?
You hoped so.
.
Caleb liked protecting you. Even if you never knew the full extent of everything he did to keep you safe, he knew.
He toned it down when you got married. Sure, he kept tabs on you (like keeping your location and access to a few home cameras). But he didn't interfere as often as he used to, not with the small things anyways. He would always look after you for any major threats.
But taking care of you? It technically wasn't "his job" anymore. As much as it hurt to let that go.
It was Rafayel's.
But when he got your texts that you were on your way? He rushed his mission to get to you faster. When he came home to see you crying and throwing up? He mentally kicked himself for not being more vigilant, for not protecting you from this.
So he did what he knew best, taking care of you.
He brought you saltine crackers and water. Let you cry it out. And when you calmed down enough, he tucked you into bed and held your hand until you fell asleep.
And then he took your phone, unlocked it, and blocked Rafayel from seeing your location. The last message he sent him from his own phone was short and simple.
1:18 AM she's safe, she's with me.
It wasn't done from the goodness of his heart or to give Rafayel peace of mind per se, but because Caleb knew he would be going insane if he was in that position.
Of course, he wouldn't have done half the things Rafayel did if he was as lucky, but hindsight is always 20/20.
No, Caleb worshipped you. And maybe you only saw a fraction of it (he only let you see so much), but his devotion ran deeper than the blood in his veins. It was like you were written into his DNA, like you were hardwired into his very being. He didn't know how not to love you. Nor did he want to learn.
So when you told him you needed to make a doctors appointment, he didn't hesitate to offer to go with you.
Well, it was less of an offer and more of a declaration that he was taking you. No room for argument. He didn't have to be in the room for the exam (as much as he wanted to, he did respect your wishes), but he wanted to be there for you.
.
You were biting your nails. A bad habit you quit and pick up every so often.
You're sitting in the cold, sterile room. Alone.
Caleb brought you here, sat in the waiting room with you. Asked if you wanted him to join you. But you just didn't feel right inviting him in to see the doctor with you.
It was supposed to be Rafayel with you, seeing the ultrasound. If you invited Caleb in, you felt like you were robbing Rafayel of this experience with you. It felt like you were replacing him.
But as you looked around the room to distract yourself from your nerves, you found yourself craving something familiar. Craving Caleb's stability. The comfort of something you do know.
And as the nurse came in and asked if you were ready to begin, you nearly cried asking if they could let him in.
You hated that you gave in so easily, it still felt wrong to have Caleb here in such an intimate setting.
But as he held your hand firmly with one hand, stroking your hair gently with the other, you felt grounded. Steadied. You leaned into his touch, and exhaled some of the pain you were holding on to.
You breathed in lighter, easier.
You squeaked in surprise as the nurse rubbed cold gel on your stomach, hearing Caleb try to stifle his laughter.
You cracked a smile.
.
He never pried the pain away from you. (He would take it all and bear it himself in a heartbeat if you asked him to) But he stayed. He listened. He let you go through it all as many times as you needed to.
And the pain started fading, getting duller with every day. And it dislodged itself from you, from your heart, your lungs, your bones. You breathed it out, laughed it out, cried it out little by little.
.
But you still had a choice to make. Do you go back to Rafayel and try again, or do you stay with Caleb?
Do you stay with what you know is safe, or do you risk losing it all again?
If you try again with Rafayel, how do you know if things have changed? How do you know it won't happen again? What if, after rebuilding, your home comes crashing down again?
If you stay with Caleb, you would be safe. But you would be giving up on your marriage.
How do you choose?