A Love Reclaimed

r. I stood alone beside our cavernous living room, with a glass of virgin champagne in my hand.

rtled me. "Your approval on the hors d'oeuvres

d getting prepared for yet another social event I feared. As I went through delicacies I couldn't pronoun

rfect," I murmured and

ately see myself in the ornate mirror. Well-designed dress, perfect makeup, and

I am stuck in a meeting, and might be late for the gal

ully, I typed back, "Yeah! Of course," with a com

ed up a paintbrush, my fingers hitching for a feel of it dearly, wanting to

ll eyes turned to me, and I could hear whispers following in my wake

rth, the self-imposed queen of our social circle, thrown-

I replied smoothly. "You shou

. "Oh, of course. Getting married to suc

, I weaved through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries on au

my gaze fell on a framed photo on his desk: Just us on our wedding day, much you

" whispering

d to find him in the doorway, so perfectly looki

e it," I said, hating the s

am so sorry for coming late. It was more dif

ons, I nodded. "The party is still going on

hat, I think I will be skipping it. I am e exha

chest, a thing I am very used to.

o our bedroom, as I watched him go, feelin

racious hostess, and supportive wife. But with every pass

e last guest departed. The house looks cavernous resou

e staircase slowly. I paused outside our bedroom door to

of the hall, my abandoned art studio. I held onto the

rticles danced in the moonlight streaming through the windows. I moved slowly through the spac

hose early days of our marriage, when the hope was still bright and burning. With eyes full of promise an

oked foreign in my hand. Just then, I was tempted to a

not know how to finish. The woman in the painting looks much

ted streaming from my eyes. I covered the canvas once more

ed beside him, so careful not to wake him up. I remember a time when we would stir at each ot

mirrored the gap growing between us. However, in this

nd I made a vow silently to myself. Something needs to change. I

if I was brave enough to break loose. Or if I was doomed

My breath ceased, hoping he would linger, or turn to pull me close like he was at our ear

day today,", more to himself

ting, and I said, "Jack, I was thinking, if mayb

action, frowning. "Tonight? I don't know Emma. The stage deal

mal familiar ache of disappointmen

that I did not understand anythi

n served by our housekeeper. Jack only gulped the co

, maybe late," he said, checkin

e, something inside me br

r, his eyebrows r

forcing the word out. "Do you ev

n love with shining through, hmm... He crossed the room and took my hands

like a rehearsed line in a play we

to the opulent room around us. "I don't think we

dence being replaced with uncertainty, making me fe

ent between us, Jack's attention was immediatel

have to leave. We mig

y, the echo of the closing door c

e weight of unspoken words. It can't continu

door open, pulling the sheet of my undone self-portrait. Staring back

paint. With a single, bold stroke, I slashed

by my action, but beneath the surprise, I was flicke

and gradually fading away in this glided cage, or I could

her stroke, a noise from downstairs got me frozen

nexpectedly and jarred in the middle of the day. "

ingers, clattering the floor. The red paint splashed like dro

me home in the middle of the day? And more importantly, what