Chris lifted Matty from my arms and laid him gently on the bed. Then, turning back to me, he took both my hands in his, rubbing the calluses on my palms with his thumbs.
“Nadine, it is my fault for making you wait all these years. Has someone in the village been mistreating you?”
I pulled my hands away from his and looked down at the rough calluses, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.
“Everyone is so exhausted they barely have time to sleep,” I said quietly. “Who has the energy to bully anyone? I am just tired, that is all. Don't overthink it.”
Chris, who grew up in the countryside himself, knew how tough farm work could be. He also understood that I was not just working the fields; I was caring for our son with cerebral palsy and his mother, who had a crippled leg.
So instead of pushing further, he just wrapped his arms around me.