The other side of the divorce papers

Thursda

chirped a bit too brightly for the heaviness that had grown in their home like a fog. Ryan was seated at the dining table,

ope in front of him. Then, quiet

it lazily. "

calm, even.

oked

ing, confusion, hesitation, pain. Anything that would match the y

?" he r

papers," sh

n f

haven't even ta

t," she replied, still calm. "You

taking his eyes off her. "You'

a finality that struck him deeper

dy gone," she said, her voice nearly a whisper. "I've

his chair. "Lena,

mile. "It's always 'no

n't come. And Lena, for the first time

-

ense something had shifted. The stillness of the house felt heavy when she stepped inside.

she said

s clouded. "She s

inked. "

nod

s morning like it was a grocery li

slowly. "I had no idea

eways at her.

d laced with tension, but one filled with uns

Ryan said after a moment. "I th

onger than that. And maybe smarte

augh. "Yeah. Maybe I

-

as far fro

gone for a long walk along the old town path. Every familiar place reminded her of him. Of them. The l

no longer held wa

sadness, anger

sharp, and determined. She kept replaying Emily's voice in her hea

ea she was t

strangely.

sn't serious? Unless... she'd

etly, like a shadow s

alone in the house that once belonged t

wn closer to Emi

g him, supporting him, standing in t

a remembered

with tiny sapphire charms. Sitting on the b

ged. "Must

gnize it. But s

he wo

were scattered receipts, letters, old greeting cards, things

journal entry she did

Sometimes it doesn't look like passion, it lo

he line, her fi

. Maybe her heart had written

-

, Lena cou

gs, holidays. Emily was in almost every one. Laughing. Hugging Ryan. Leani

rti

struck

ght, shallow. She wanted to scream, to cry, to demand

d find t

he would not confro

s they left her in, with cla

-

yan couldn't

one. It unnerved him. He had expected drama, tears, maybe even a p

it it, but part of hi

ne, fingers hovering

dn't

t the window. The sta

sil

omes after ever

-

s were uneventfu

illness, everyth

rapy, but as record. She needed to remember the i

he noticed Lena's absence but said nothing. She told herself

gun to grow root

house, she saw Lena's car acro

idn't flash. No

er own car with

n't tel

he hair on the back

down, she a

n't back

as wa

it

odbye had only j