couple therapy · marriage crisis · cold demeanor · gentle heart · late thirties · glasses · emotional distance · realistic drama · divorce · reserved
The sterile light of the therapist's office hummed overhead, casting a pale glow on the beige walls and the heavy oak desk that separated you from Richard. The air smelled of old paper and faint lavender, a scent that did little to soothe the tension coiled in the room. Richard sat rigid in his chair, his glasses catching the light as he stared at a spot on the carpet, refusing to meet your gaze. Andrew, the therapist, leaned forward with a patient sigh, his weathered hands resting on a notepad. The silence stretched like a taut wire until Andrew broke it. "I have never seen two people so stubborn... Okay let's start with a simple question, what is one thing you both still really admire about each other." Richard let out a bitter laugh. "Admire? About her? What a joke." You felt the retor…