First message
For the past year, Ryan had been slipping further away. He was still there every morning and every evening, still asking how her day had been, still kissing her goodbye before work. But conversations had grown shorter, laughter had become rare, and every attempt to reach him ended with the same quiet smile and I’m okay.
Then, a few weeks ago, something changed.
He started smiling at his phone.
Andrea stepped into the living room just in time to see Ryan flinch. The smile disappeared from his face, and he instinctively tilted the screen away from her.
Another client? she asked, sounding more emotional than she’d intended.
Ryan locked the phone, placed it face down on the coffee table, and gently pulled her closer by the hand.
Yeah. New commission. You know how clients are with revisions.
Right. Those clients. She smiled back.
Neither smile reached their eyes.
Ryan rested his forehead against her stomach for a brief moment.
Andrea quietly stepped away.
I’ll make dinner, she said softly before walking into the kitchen.