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The Ring or the Badge?

Short Story #3

By Aszia MansonPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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"How was work?" his wife asked, like she always does.

"It was fine," he said curtly as always. She sighed, put down her mug, and trudged back upstairs to check on their daughters.

Sound asleep, as they should be around this hour. He went out to the balcony and lit a cigarette.

Wondering.

Wondering how his life would be now if his past wasn't...

So painful.

If his father hadn't beat him. If his mother hadn't left. Then his wife wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his back. The glossy, distant look in his eyes disappeared being replaced by his default stoic expression.

It started to rain. He suddenly realized something he should have years ago. Like an 18-wheeler colliding into a wall, it hit him.

It'd been him all along.

He'd been pushing himself away from everything by keeping his busy job.

Distance from his wife.

HIM.

Missing birthdays with his daughters.

HIM.

He turned to his wife, holding her hands in his. Her oak colored locks blew in the light wind of the hazy rain, revealing her freckles.

"Y- You knew..?" he asked, eyes still wide with curious realization. She looked up and smiled.

"Yes, I knew," she said simply. He smiled back at her, a single tear falling from his cerulean eyes.

"Why then... Why did you stay?" he whispered, his voice cracking. She hugged him tightly, whispering into his chest.

"I stayed because I love you." She pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes glistening.

"In time, I knew you would realize that.."

He smiled.

A real sincere smile. A smile she didn't know she missed until this night.

He hugged her tighter, kissing her head.

"I love you, too," he said so softly, so lovingly she couldn't help the sobs that escaped her. He led his wife back into their house to dry off.

He held her tighter that night, something in the back of his mind saying:

"Don't let go, or she will."

The next day seemed to have come too soon for her. She knew that in the morning he'd have to depart for work. He awoke to her sparkling, green eyes gazing at him.

"Good morning," she chimed. He smiled as he kissed her cheek.

"Good morning." She sat up in bed with him, looking at the clock and waiting for him to get up and get dressed.

He didn't.

Instead, he sprung out of bed catching his wife by surprise and headed to their daughters' room. Being quite curious, she followed behind him, hearing giggles echo throughout the hall.

She found him playing with his daughters. They were all blue and green eyes and giggles. She couldn't help but smile fondly to herself.

"I'm leaving my job..." he stated as they sat eating their breakfast.

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"I'm leaving my job," he simply restated. She smiled and put down her mug.

"Why? You don't really have to do that, honey. You do know that, right?"

He smiled back at her setting down his coffee as well.

"Yes, I know. It's not for me, though. It's for us," he said gesturing to her and their daughters as he touched her hand.

After breakfast, she jumped into his arms. They stayed like that for awhile, feeling little arms wrapping around their legs as their daughters joined the hug. He let go and crouched, meeting their blue and green eyes.

"I love you two so much, you know that?"

His daughter with green eyes spoke.

"Does that mean you'll be home to play daddy?"

His other daughter with blue eyes looked up at him, also awaiting an answer .

"Yes, Daddy will be home to play."

They smiled their little, 6-year-old smiles and attacked their father with bear hugs.

That day, the house was full of smiles, laughter, and love.

He realized what was more important:

His ring, not his badge.

marriage
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About the Creator

Aszia Manson

Hello! My name is Aszia (Pronounced as "Asia") and it's been my dream since I was 14 to be a writer. I love creating new worlds and characters. I'll be posting short stories, poems and chapters of the book I've been working on. ^_^

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