Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Chapter 107

“Grandma.” Theodore put on an exaggeratedly pitiful face in front of her. “Emma’s trying to kick me out. She’s being so mean.”

Emma: …

Honestly, she had no idea what Theodore was up to anymore. What was he even playing at?

Grandma just burst out laughing, shaking her head. “Silly boy, Emma’s just worried you’ll get too caught up keeping this old lady company and fall behind on your work.”

“Grandma, I’m not busy at all. I’m on vacation.” Smiling, he somehow produced a deck of playing cards from thin air.

Emma could hardly believe it—he actually settled down to play cards with Grandma, and even insisted she join in.

An hour drifted by like this, the three of them shuffling and laughing until both Emma and Grandma started to feel drowsy. They finally called it quits and headed off for an afternoon nap.

Emma wasn’t sure whether Theodore even napped during the day–he rarely came home for lunch, and always seemed to have boundless energy. This time, though, she slept straight through until four in the afternoon.

When she woke, she was still groggy, barely aware of voices murmuring somewhere

in the house.

She listened more closely. It was Theodore and Grandma.

He was still here?

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Emma got up and stepped outside. In the backyard, she spotted him helping Grandma set up a trellis for her roses.

Ever since the weather had warmed up, Grandma’s climbing roses had been growing wild, the canes reaching for anything to cling to. A sturdy trellis would let them spread, weaving a living wall of blooms.

Theodore stood there, shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows, pant legs and shoes caked in mud. He’d already finished the fence and was carefully tying the rose canes in place.

The afternoon sun was blazing, sweat darkening his hair and sending messy strands

10.50

Chapter 107

tumbling across his forehead.

“Grandma, it’s too hot out here,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “Why don’t you go back inside? I can finish up on my own.” His arms were already scratched and streaked with blood from the thorns.

Emma was worried about Grandma getting overheated too, so she hurried down the steps and called out, “Grandma, come inside!”

Theodore heard her voice, turned, and pointed at her feet. “Careful. Don’t come over here–just sit and rest. I’ll be done in a minute.”

But “a minute” turned into another half hour before he finally finished tying up the last rose and came inside. By then, there was nothing left of the buttoned–up Mr. Whitman.

His shirt was stained dark in places, yellowed in others, and even his face was streaked with dirt. His hands and arms were marked by fresh cuts from the bamboo and the rose thorns, and his pants and shoes were a muddy mess. He’d tried to rinse them off, but they were still wet and grimy.

Looking at him, Emma was hit with a sudden memory–the boy at that long–ago picnic, face smudged with ash as he struggled to get the campfire going.

If not for everything that had happened over the past couple weeks, this moment, this simple life with him, might have been everything she ever wanted…

But, no. No regrets.

This was how it should be. The sooner she saw their marriage for what it really was, the better.

“Why are you staring at me?” Theodore asked, bits of dirt still clinging to his fingers as he reached out and tapped her nose.

She jerked away, frowning. “You’re filthy!”

He grinned, “Already turning your nose up at me? What’s going to happen when I’m old and ugly–are you just going to toss me aside?”

“Never,” she replied automatically. Because, truthfully, they’d never grow old together.

But he didn’t catch the meaning in her words. He just laughed and tapped her nose again. “Glad to know you’ve still got some heart.”

“Theodore, go take a shower,” Grandma called from the kitchen. “There are clean clothes in the closet–new ones.” She turned to Emma. “Emmie, would you grab those

2/4

10:59

Chapter 107

clothes for him?”

Emma went, mostly because there was no way she could let him track dirt all over Grandma’s house without a word. She didn’t want to argue with him here and sour these precious days she had left with Grandma.

There were men’s clothes in the closet–though, looking at the styles, they were clearly from five years ago. Still, they were brand new.

She remembered. She’d bought them herself.

Nights in the countryside could be magical, filled with the sound of crickets and the scent of flowers. On clear evenings, the stars spilled across the sky like diamonds.

When Emma had first gotten married, she’d pictured this scene a thousand times–coming home to Grandma’s house with Theodore, the two of them enjoying the nights she loved, telling Grandma she’d found the one she wanted to spend her life with. That’s why she’d bought several sets of his clothes, washed and stored them here, just in case.

But five years had passed, and he’d never once spent the night.

He was always particular about his clothes. When Emma handed him the set she’d picked out, he immediately recognized they were for him. Seeing the outdated cut, he hesitated, almost as if he wanted to say something, but held back.

Emma didn’t say a word. She just walked past him and left.

That evening, Grandma cooked up a feast. While Emma and Grandma had been napping, Theodore had handled all the prep work; now Grandma only had to finish things off at the stove.

Emma barely set foot in the kitchen before Grandma shooed her away.

Emma just smiled, helpless. Grandma would never let her precious girl lift a finger when she was home.

So Emma retreated to the living room and cleared the dining table, when her phone buzzed with a new message.

She sat down on the sofa to check–it was Ms. Brown, confirming her details so the team could book plane tickets.

Emma double–checked the info and sent the confirmation.

Ms. Brown kept chatting, and somehow half an hour slipped by while they talked. Then Theodore emerged from the bathroom.

3/4

10:59

Chapter 107

At the sound of the door, Emma quickly wrapped up the conversation and deleted the entire chat with a swipe of her finger.

Theodore was already crossing the room, and he’d clearly seen her do it.