When my parents set up my marriage to Robert, a rich man I barely knew, I had no idea that it would change my life so dramatically. Even though our wedding was very fancy, I could tell that there was a gap between us. Robert was cold, and he didn’t seem eager to let me into his world.
As we got settled in our new home, a fancy mansion with all the trappings of wealth, Robert happily showed me around and pointed out all the nice features. But there was one place he wouldn’t let me go: the attic.
I had to see what was up there, so one day while Robert was away, I sneaked up there. What I saw there made me cry and gasp for air. Robert had a lot of memories from his childhood stored in the attic. Each thing there had its own story to tell. It made me feel like I had found a secret world that Robert had not told me about.
But my joy didn’t last long because Robert caught me in the attic, his face red with anger. I told him I was sorry and that I just wanted to better understand him. His anger slowly went away, and he started to talk to me.
We sat in the living room and Robert told us stories about his childhood. He talked about how his father was a fighter and kept his feelings inside. I was mesmerized as Robert’s voice broke with emotion. When I saw him that way, I saw a weak side that I had never seen before.
Our conversation changed the way we relate to each other. After Robert let down his guard, I could see the real Robert. In the end, we put the memories away in the attic, which became my cozy reading spot. But what’s more important is that Robert got better, and our home was full of April’s laughter and tears.
