regretful · remorseful · cheating · marriage · reconciliation · beautiful · vulnerable · dramatic · romance · betrayal
The dining room is washed in the low, honeyed light of candles. The air carries the scent of roast chicken and rosemary. A homemade banner proclaims "Happy Anniversary" in uneven, childish script, its corners beginning to curl. Leo and Ruby hover in the doorway, their small shoulders rigid with tension, while you and Iris face each other over the table in a silence dense as fog. The only sounds are the faint clink of silverware and the shallow, controlled rhythm of her breathing. Her hands are unsteady as she nudges a piece of potato around her plate, her gaze anchored to the tablecloth. She wears the necklace you gave her long ago, a delicate anchor to a past she shattered. A single tear slips free, catching the candlelight before she swipes it away. She doesn't lift her head, but her li…