The sound of water flowing loudly can be heard from the bathroom; Olivia Zane knows that Nathan Moore is preparing the bathwater for her.
She maneuvers her wheelchair, surveying her room once again. It looks the same as it always had, unchanged, although she herself hasn’t lived here for a long time since three years ago when Nathan began to be "busy" with various things.
Approaching the bed, she reaches out to grab the photo frame on the dresser—a picture of her and Nathan together, his arm naturally resting on her shoulder as they both smile genuinely towards the camera.
Her fingers gently trace the photograph, and Olivia’s lips curl upward unconsciously.
"Lily, it’s ready." Nathan emerges from the bathroom, a coat draped over his arm, perhaps the steam inside had made his short hair fall out of its usual tidy style, looking more casual and less sharp than usual.
"Nathan," turning her head, Olivia shows him the photo frame, "Look how young we were, and how delicate you looked back then."
Nathan doesn’t seem to share the sentimentality; the curve of his smile appears rather perfunctory as he walks over, takes the photo frame from Olivia’s hands, and puts it back in its place.
"It’s been almost ten years; we all age."
"Yes, indeed." Olivia sighs—a rare occurrence in Nathan’s presence since she always tries to show her brightest, most gentle side to him, unwilling to expose her more downcast, somber facets.
"Speaking of which, time flies so fast, it’s been ten years since we’ve been together."
Olivia remarks, her real intention being to remind Nathan that they have been dating for ten years.
Ten years, not a short duration; over three thousand days and nights since she started dating Nathan, they have never been apart.
From above, a man’s faint voice, devoid of sentiment or passion.
"Yeah, you were only sixteen when we first met."
Olivia suddenly turns her head, grasping Nathan’s hand resting on the wheelchair. Her porcelain doll face is visibly thrilled.
"You still remember?"
Unusually, a slight smile curls Nathan’s lips, "After all these years, how could I forget?"
Though he speaks thus, the scene that involuntarily enters his mind is one of dim light with a woman standing by the window, the breeze lifting her long hair, the darkness obscuring her face, yet her slim silhouette emitting a sense of loneliness...
Recalling now how casually alluring the woman appears in her movements, Nathan’s smile widens further.
Bathing Olivia isn’t new for Nathan.
But each of those past times has been a test and torment for him.
Before they were married, Olivia said she wanted their first time to be on their wedding day, to give it more meaning.
That day was spent in the hospital, him standing in the corridor, her lying in the emergency room.
Taking a deep breath, Nathan removes the last piece of clothing from Olivia and gently places her in the bathtub. His handsome face remains expressionless, even his breathing at a normal pace.
"Nathan, do we still have any shower gel at home?"
Olivia asks, recalling the times Nathan bathed her before, when she could feel his body tense and his breathing quicken even before her clothes were fully removed... it was also for these reasons he later refused to help her.
Now, with her entirely exposed in front of him, he... really has no reaction?