Ulysses - Chapter 4
Leopold Bloom moved quietly through his kitchen, preparing breakfast for his wife Molly. He loved these morning rituals, the simple domestic tasks that grounded his day. The cat mewed at his feet, demanding attention and food.
"Milk for the pussens," Bloom murmured, pouring cream into a saucer.
He examined the kidney he had bought from the butcher, planning how to cook it perfectly. Molly liked her breakfast in bed, and he took pleasure in serving her. Their marriage had its complications, but these small acts of devotion sustained him.
Upstairs, he could hear Molly stirring. Soon she would call for her breakfast, her voice still thick with sleep. Bloom thought of her body, warm and soft under the covers, and felt a familiar stirring of desire mixed with resignation.
He knew about Blazes Boylan, knew that Molly was planning to meet him this afternoon. The knowledge sat in his stomach like a stone, but he pushed it aside. What could he do? Molly was her own person, and he had no right to control her.
The kidney sizzled in the pan, filling the kitchen with its rich aroma. Bloom arranged everything on a tray: the kidney, toast, butter, marmalade, and a pot of tea. He added a flower in a small vase, a touch of beauty to brighten her morning.
Carrying the tray carefully upstairs, Bloom prepared himself for the day ahead. He would go about his business, visit the newspaper office, attend Paddy Dignam's funeral. He would be busy, too busy to think about Molly and Boylan. Or so he told himself.