Crystal's One Night of Love

Right then, Henry figured it out.

Crystal’s foremost priority was her children. He came after them.

The discovery made him ill at ease.

As he gazed down upon her delicate features, he seemed to see another version of himself, a version that held all memories of him.

He did not give in to her. But the next day, he found himself returning to the Miller residence.

They sky grew dimmer as the evening progressed.

Henry did not head indoors immediately. He leaned against his car, lighting a cigarette and taking slow drags, smoke veiling his face.

The Miller residence echoed with children’s laughter and spirited play in the living room, infusing the surroundings with vibrant energy. Yet, this liveliness felt somewhat foreign to him.

After he finished smoking, he walked into the living room.

A young and unfamiliar handsome boy occupied a seat.

Toys were scattered around him, and he seemed somewhat awkward.

Before Henry could inquire about the boy, Crystal walked over with a tray of freshly baked cookies. She crouched down before the boy and said tenderly. “Christopher, these are fresh from the oven. Give them a try.”

The boy appeared somewhat bashful as he sampled a few cookies.

“Is it good?” Crystal ruffled his hair affectionately.

“It is!”

Skyler came up next to him. “Christopher, Mommy put lots of milk in them! Why don’t you come back tomorrow?”

A blush crept onto the young boy’s face as he nodded in agreement.

Henry’s brow furrowed with concern.

No matter how he looked at it, this boy named Christopher appeared like a young daughter-in-law raised by the Miller family.

He felt that a conversation with Crystal was imperative.

Later at night, when the children had finally gone to bed, Henry knocked on the door of the children’s room. “Convenient to talk? I want to discuss something about Skyler with you.”

Crystal was always open to discussing their children, so she looked down at Skyler who was nestled in her arms and murmured, “I’ll be in your room in a moment.”

A while later, she entered his room, which was dimly lit.

Henry, who had taken a shower, sported a casual white bathrobe that highlighted his strong build.

While Crystal sized him up, Henry did the same and snorted. “You’re all bundled up. Why, are you afraid I’ll do anything to you?”

Crystal ignored him. She settled on the couch across from him and asked gently, “What is it about Skyler you want to discuss?”

“Who’s Christopher to the Millers? Who is he to Skyler? And if my guess is right, he has Rh-negative. blood, doesn’t he?” Henry didn’t beat around the bush.

Crystal lowered her gaze. “You’ve got it right.”

Tension hung in the air.

Henry looked at Crystal.

her pale pink sweater dress, she projected a gentle demeanor, but behind that facade lay remarkably assertive actions.

living, breathing human being, not some item you can trade!

out

accusing me of

bear the

Sage, could you retrieve the first document from my safe at the office? Yes, bring it over to

she hung up the phone.

brows knitted in

over the document, and departed

answers you’re searching for are within these pages.”

after reading the contents.

legal expert, he had never imagined himself performing such an outlandish action until he read that document.

It was him.

had pumped two

the one who had engaged in

had decided to have Christopher’s continuous presence by Skyler’s

the start, it was all him, or perhaps the other

raised his head to

***

standing quietly before the floor-to-ceiling window. After a while, she murmured, “Henry, even if I don’t want to, I have

those three years, Henry

he had been prepared to

before her displayed,

Crystal wanted to give up on him, but that

the night, loneliness

curled ever so slightly.

words refused to cross his lips, for Crystal seemed to be

for the other

was snowing outside.

in warmth, courtesy of the heater. The floor-to-ceiling window was covered in a

was slightly raspy as she said, “Henry, you turned me into someone like you, but you

figure before her was not the Henry Miller

spirits were

she

current look was enough to make a man’s heart flutter.

then wrapped his arms around her lithe form from behind. He leaned into her ear and whispered, “Is he truly remarkable? What is it about him that captivates you,

he should not feel this way,

the company of another variant of himself. cavorting unabashedly in the embrace of their shared

kindled an acute sense of

her head slightly.

in response, and he began kissing her from her cheek to her ear, down to her neck. Those tender, reverential kisses mirrored

and

leaned against the crook of his warm neck, she

the night grew deeper,

left a videotape with Henry, allowing him to watch it at

bathrobe, leaning against the bedframe and

he was stunned by the

was the last lovemaking session between Henry and Crystal, with him sitting in the study and Crystal tending to him with care in his embrace. She was pregnant at the time,

her long legs on the

heart threatened to pound out of

version of himself gently tugging Crystal’s long hair and

sharing

of blue light illuminated the dimly