I was a newcomer in the neighborhood, not long only for about six months. Everything was new to me—new house, new job, and new life.
Four years passed so quickly since I retired from the world of triathletes. It was hard to live in a city where everyone knew you as "the pool survivor". The media picked it for me, as to write my terrible incident to a huge headline and became the talk of the town in the first years. Remembering, I had spent countless nights crying in bed. Oddly, now tears wouldn't even fall for me anymore, for letting out my emotion.
Yes, it still hurt to think about swimming, but it was the right thing to do. The bittersweet knowledge ate me alive that I was no other than an ordinary person. And now, I accepted that reality.
Baba was anxious, like why I needed to move out, what was the problem living with him back there. Er... That was practically the initial reason I moved out. He would overly baby me. I mean, being clingy was one thing, but he pampered me too much that I wasn't doing anything. Besides, it was kind of hard—honestly, I tried—to find a job in that little town when you were once so famous as "drowning-athlete". People just had some silly expectations about you, only to find out later you were worse than a normal person. And not going to college because I couldn't afford to. My grades were bad and other than sports, I didn't know what major I could take.
Why did I move? Well, a long-distant aunt of mine asked me to help take care of her business—it wasn't a hasty decision. It was a secluded town, a restaurant near the beach. She was getting married to some French guy, and she was going to live with him. Reluctant to sell her restaurant, she suddenly thought of me, and there it was... New house, new job, new life.
The Gods were smiling at me. As they said, a stupid person has stupid luck.
But so much for the stupid luck. Anyway, I caught myself in a situation where some hottie strange guy claimed to be my husband and turned out to be a single dad. It made two potential suspects of intruder inside my house, standing near my front door. Of course, I had some sense of security for myself—a broom, not much, but probably it might have a use of something.
The big one, hotsy-totsy neighbor, wore a black tuxedo, and the white shirt beneath was cleaned and ironed. His black hair was neatly combed. He looked like a fancy gentleman which totally not fitting the place—my house's messy view. Okay, stop clinging to the fact he was soooo attractive. What a strange way to describe a stranger.
The little one was just his child. Apparently, that made him be my "son". He was staring at me with wide eyes, full of trust and... hope. For him, I must've had the look of incredulity and awe. Only mine was full of fear and horror. Why would those puppy eyes cause me so much distress?
The hottie guy smiled at my confusion—it must've been written all over my face. Slowly, he took a step forward; my instinct roared for danger. "Don't move. Another step and I'll call the police."
The guy gave me a short laugh. He gestured his hand to the right and my broom followed, leaving my empty hands dumbstruck. Okay, so much for the protection broom.
I barely looked away for a few seconds and again, I was shocked. His face was this inch closed to mine, I could even feel his breath on my skin. I winced a step back, almost tripped when a strong arm slid around my waist prevented me from falling. With his reflexes, I caught a whiff of his scent. It wasn't thick, musky cologne like most gentlemen wore. It was a faint scent of a flower—iris.
"Police?" Something in his tone just made me unable to tell whether he looked genuinely shocked or confused.
"Yes." I barely recognized my own voice, I had to act convincingly. "I'll report to them that you barge into my house without my consent, and about to do something uncivilized!"
"Oh, you mean guards." The gentleness in his voice startled me as much as shouting should have. "Then tell me, what uncivilized thing that I have done? I haven't even started yet."
"What you are doing now is called sexual harassment." I corrected him.
A glimmer of his dry humor surfaced. "That only happens when man and woman aren't acquainted with each other. But, we're husband and wife. I don't find anything wrong with it. Tell me, wife, how is that even called sexual harassment?"
"I barely even know you!" I exploded, trying to push him away, but his hand snapped on my wrist, pinning it against the wall. And as he held me, my face probably began turning pink from outrage—and embarrassment. I gazed at him with disbelief and frustration. With that little space left between us, our eyes locked. His dark eyes were so dark and glittering, from afar they seemed to be black, but up close they were actually a dark shade of brown. Even a short glance from a guy like him would make most girls swoon. I, myself, included if I hadn't accused him as both lunatic and maniac.
"I'm your husband." He sounded remarkably calm, as he released me and I finally could stand properly.
"Name."
Something in my tone made him snort. "Jie Moshu."
"Alright, Mr. Jie. What are you?"
"Like I said, your husband."
"No—That thing," hastily I looked away to my helplessly lying broom, avoiding his eyes. "You made me fly earlier. My broom, too. What was that? Some sort of sorcery?"
"Yes, you can call it sorcery." Again, he gave me a tiny snort, almost a laugh.
"Then, what are you? You said something about the Sky Realm." I pushed. "Are you an immortal, a celestial-being?"
"If I said, I'm not. Will you believe me?"
"No, I don't." After all the roller-coaster ride experience, definitely, I would believe he must've been a thousand years evil spirit. He was avoiding my question, so let's just assume he was an immortal. I continued to interrogate him, "Then what about the boy?"
"He's my—our son. Axiang, come and greet your mother."
"Axiang, give greetings to mother." The boy bowed low to me. He even knelt before me only for kowtowing three times. Whoa... that was just too much.
My eyes widened in surprise. I did not see that coming. With a cross, impatient gestures, I stopped Axiang from giving such a heavy sense of courtesy to me. Annoyance made me put my apprehension aside. "Don't kowtow me; I'm not even an empress or a consort."
"But Mama, you're father's consort."
Axiang's honest answer dumbfounded me. I turned to Jie Moshu and shot him a significant look. You've got to be kidding me. Like this was for real? Did he teach his son some courtesy from the imperial era? Heavens, I couldn't bear with this any longer. I should just take a cold shower to wash all my frustration, dealing with two imperial era men came afterward.
"You two." I gestured, glancing at them with a warning look. "Wait here, I'll be back in a moment."
I'd barely turned back to them when I remembered. "And don't walk around like this is your house."
They both fell into silence as I walked my way to the bathroom.
Axiang studied the whole place for a few seconds before asking. "Father, are you having a fight with mother?"
"No, we're not." He paused meaningfully. "Your mother just doesn't remember anything since she is a human now."
"Then, should we try to make her remember?"
Jie Moshu didn't answer. Outwardly, his expression was serene as always, but Axiang detected a hint of worry—no, it was fear. The answer had been clear: it was best not to do so.