More than Roses

o be home every weekend, but this was the fourth weekend where he wasn't home. She had called his cell several times, and there was no reply. The last time he came home, she confronted

ould do. He barely touched her anymore. She yearned for the touch of the man who had stolen her heart three years ago. He couldn't even stand the sight of her. Sarah knew there was something wrong. Was her husband c

hen she gave birth to their first daughter, he was there with her. She decided she was going to pay him a surprise visit at his new office in Oak City.

fe. Probably she'd let herself go. She shouldn't have quit her job when he asked her to. She was just trying to be an obedient wife. The bus was filled in no time and was on its way to Oak City. She was happy she was going

l. The thought of seeing her husband gave her much excitement. She rang again for the second time, Sarah's heart pounded in her chest as she stood in front of the apartment door, her anticipation building like a crescendo of a symphony. She had spent the en

he long separation. The door creaked open, and she looked up, her eyes shimmering with love and longing.To her utter surprise and dismay, a short, stout man stood in the doorway instead of her husband. Her smile faded into a puzzled frown, and she stammered as she tried to

ritten down, and it matched the one on the building's door. There must be some mistake, she thought. Maybe she had remembered it incorrectly, or pe

. Sarah's sense of shock deepened as she realized that the home she thought she would find had disappeared into thin air. S

now, and why had he kept it a secret from her? The answers eluded her, and the uncertainty weighed heavily on her heart. Sarah couldn't understand

omorrow. He had told her the name of the law firm. It shouldn't be hard to find. She took a cab to a small hostel she had seen on her way to her supposed husband'

t out her feeding bottle. She went to the bathroom to check if the tap was running. They were. This was the one good thing that had happened to her today. She quickly took off Jane's gown, removed her diapers, and placed her in a bowl she found in the bathroom. The water was a bit cold, but there was no way of heating it. Jane screamed the moment the water touched her skin. She cried even after she was done bathing. Sarah felt pity for her. If only they had met her father where he was supposed to be, the

e name boldly written on the entrance. She prayed silently in her heart that she would find her husband there. She walked to where the receptionist was and told her who she was looking for. The receptionist told her she wanted to make a phone call. Sarah sat on one of the chairs that were meant for visitors

uch hope, the vision. of a joyous reunion with her husband filling her thoughts. But n

mmitment. Yet here she was, standing in a place where he no longer belonged, his absence a glaring truth she couldn't ignore.The receptionist's words echoed in her ears, a cruel reminder of her shattered expectations

oned a vague departure date, but Sarah hardly registered the details. Her mind was consumed with the sheer magnitude of thi

of her had been ripped away. The bond she had shared with her husband was unraveling before her eyes, and sh

over. She thanked the woman, her voice heavy with resignation, and slowly made her way toward the exit

next. Her journey to find answers had only just begun, and the path ahead seemed shr

could see the confusion on Sarah's face. She quickly searched her computer for the address and gave it to her. Sarah thanked her and walked to the door. As Sarah left the law firm, her footsteps echoed throug

y wrong, that there were hidden layers to Michael's life that she had never fathomed. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafte

Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions, thoughts racing like a turbulent storm. She wondered

mother's heart, gurgled and cooed, a ray of innocence in the midst of the chaos. Sarah had always promised hers

their own lives and concerns. Sarah felt isolated, as if she were adrift in an ocean of s

hael, something to explain his absence, to provide a glimpse into his thoughts and fee

and rang, each unanswered tone a painful reminder of the growing chasm between them. Sara

. The realization that she was on her own, left to unravel the myster

arge, casting a long shadow over her once-hopeful heart. She knew that she couldn't simply wait for answers; she had to

al itself. She needed answers, and she needed them soon. As she walked through the bustling st

e truth. The address she had received from the receptionist burned in her pocket, a beacon guiding her steps.The city's cacophony seemed to taunt her, but she pressed forward. H

d with questions, her imagination conjuring up scenarios both good an