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Yin stared at his wife and sister with great intent.
The room was dimly lit by a few candles. The deep green velvet curtains were drawn, though a sliver of moonlight slipped through a crack in between them. The two women were laid side-by-side in Yang's bed, getting ready to turn in for the night. Balloon wore a yellow floral nightgown and matching bonnet with a bow in the front. She was sitting upright reading a book outloud, probably an epic from the sound of it. Yang was resting flat on her back; her head turned towards Balloon as she listened. She wore a simplistic off white collared nightgown with long puffy sleeves and brown leafy embroidery, in her hands she held a porcelain doll close to her chest. The family cat, Soldato, was loafing in his own bed next to Yang's side.
The two women had had quite the eventful day, having taken an hours-long commute around town doing some shopping and sight seeing. Lately, Balloon had been making it a point to have Yang go outside as often as possible; seeing as how it had been a while since she's been in the area. It was a rather fair afternoon in Rome, so Yin guessed he couldn't complain about it. Besides, Yang being out of the house meant peace and quiet from Mother's constant disdain for her current behavior.
But even so, the peace and quiet in question failed to satisfy him enough. Instead, the quiet allowed for him to be thrust into a new kind of noise: his guilty conscience. In the quiet, Yin was free to let his thoughts fester; his thoughts about his wife, thoughts about his sister. Both of whom he has hurt beyond compare, his sister especially.
Yang wasn't the same ever since she returned home. Upon arrival she didn't remember any of her family and relatives. From reading her medical records, they said that she suffered a horrible fall and got amnesia. She remembered basic skills and a little about her time in the institution prior to the fall, but anything else before that was long forgotten. She didn't even remember her old interests.
Her personality was different too. She'd lost all of her vigor in the institution. Now, she's more confused and timid. She cries more easily, almost all of her quarrels with Mother end in tears. Most of her time she spends alone in her room sleeping, though nowadays she spends her time with Balloon. She rarely smiles in public, and she doesn't speak to anyone unless she has to. If anyone even bothers to talk to her at all; most people keep away from her now. Most notable of all, her eyes lost the unamused glare she’d held all her life. Now, they're just the petrified husk of what they used to be.
Yin noticed the lack of Balloon’s reading. Taking a closer look, it seemed Balloon had paused her reading to stare at Yang. Yang’s eyes were closed as she was rubbing the doll’s face on her own, a smile morphing on her face. Balloon couldn't keep herself from letting her right hand rub Yang's forehead, not that Yang seemed to mind as she let it happen. Balloon smiled and returned to reading. Yin remembered something she’d said a while back…
“Yang needs someone, and if that someone must be me, then so be it...”
Balloon had changed since returning from her institution as well. For a while now she’s started acting more like a woman her age; her voice’s youthful lilt was replaced with a kind of womanly cadence, almost akin to her mother's. She also seems to have adopted a more conservationist mindset, upon returning home she denied Yin’s offer to have a dress made to celebrate her arrival. But there was one thing about her that never changed.
Yin could tell that Balloon still loved Yang. He didn’t know if those feelings were still reciprocated, but he knew Balloon still had hers in tact. Balloon couldn't keep her eyes off Yang the moment she was back, and now, she keeps Yang close at all times. When Mother’s nasty to her, Balloon comes to her rescue. When Yang gets upset, Balloon is always there to calm her down. In those displays of affection, is the love that she’d held for her since even before her and Yin wed. That love never went away, it was just forced to take on a new form.
Yin flinched at the sound of a book slamming shut. It seems like Balloon was done with her story.
“I think that's a good place to stop,” Balloon said as she took a moment to stretch her back and shoulders. Yang raised a hand to her mouth as she yawned, Soldato also let out a yawn as he repositioned himself in his bed.
“Do you like the story so far?” The balloon turned down to Yang as she smiled. Yang smiled back, lowering her hand from her mouth she nodded with a hum as she kept her doll close. Balloon smiled and started shifting farther to the left side of the bed. In mere seconds Yin started to panic, and in his attempts to try to back away from the door he had accidentally bumped into it. The door clasped shut with the soft rattle of the door latch, definitely loud enough for the women inside to hear.
Yin froze in place. He brought a hand over his mouth, his expression was painted in fear as his eyes frantically darted everywhere. The man began to pace in thought, What should he do? Should he run away? ‘Play it off like he just got there? Before he could make a decision, God made one for him as the door opened, revealing his wife covered in a long off-white shawl draped around her arms.
“Yin?” Balloon greeted her husband in a soft but bleak tone.
Yin turned to face his spouse, “W-wife.”
The two were silent for a second. Yin’s lip quivered in discomfort. Despite her short stature, Balloon had a demure yet intimidating aura, and Yin could feel the pressure piling up.
Balloon looked her husband up and down before tilting her head curiously, “What might you be doing up so late?”
Yin paused, his eyes wandered around as he tried to come up with an excuse. While doing so, he took a glimpse into the room. Yang was cradling the doll close to her and caressing her doll’s head in her hands.
“‘Couldn’t sleep,” Yin finally muttered. Balloon just hummed in response. There was another pause.
“Might I ask the same of you?” Yin motioned his hand to his wife.
Balloon looked over her shoulder and smiled, “Oh, I'm just helping Yang off to bed.”
Yin looked back into the room; Yang was now leaning off the edge of the bed, staring at Soldato, “I see.”
This sight brought an uneasy feeling to Yin. Almost on impulse, he blurted out, “I-Is that really necessary? I mean, cuddles and bed-time stories? Yang is an adult after-”
Balloon stared Yin dead in the eyes as she cut him off,
“You do remember when she screamed herself awake after a nightmare, right?”
Yin choked. Yin had totally forgotten. He didn't know how though, Yang's cries woke everyone up that night. By the time Yin even made it to her room, she was already being soothed in Balloon's arms. Mother had a fit, per usual.
Embarrassed, Yin kept his gaze away from his wife's, “N-no,” Yin muttered pathetically. A few awkward seconds passed between the two. From the corner of his eye, Yin could see Yang was trying to pet the cat without waking him up. Yin could faintly hear her hums of whimsy.
“I’ll be off to bed soon,” Balloon broke the silence, giving an archaic smile. Yin nodded, he tried to return her smile but he only made himself look dumb. With that, Balloon said “goodnight,” and stepped back before promptly shutting the door.
Yin stood in the dark hallway. Through the door Yin could hear the faint sounds of talking, most likely Balloon’s voice. With nothing else to do, Yin turned down right of the hallway, starting his long walk of shame.
The mental noise took no time to make itself known, bombarding Yin with a landslide of questions. How did they end up like this? How could a marriage starting so sweet end so sour? How could Yin have even gone through with the decision he made? God was truly a mysterious force, indeed. If it weren't for Yin being the way he was, he could have single handedly gotten two of his loved ones killed. Though, in all honesty, maybe he already did the moment he sent them on their way.
Yin missed the good old days. The months before, hell, even back to when he and Yang were still children; before he even had to worry himself about marriage and such. Oh how Yin wished he could go back to those fateful days in Hannover, back to simpler times when he’d first laid eyes on his future wife. When he grew more in love with her every moment they spent together, maybe Balloon didn’t love him then either, but at least he had the amenity of not knowing. At least he was living in a dream.
But that dream is long gone now.