But there was one thing I could never quite ignore.
Claire.
His ex-wife.
She was always there.
Not physically.
Not at first.
But somehow, no matter what we were talking about, her name always found its way into the conversation.
If I cooked dinner, Mark would casually say,
“Claire always warmed the plates first.”
If I bought something new for the kitchen, he might comment,
“Claire never used that brand.”
If I rearranged the living room, he would say,
“Claire liked the couch over there.”
At first, I laughed.
Then I ignored it.
Then I started wondering why he remembered so many little things about a woman he claimed he had been completely finished with for years.
One evening, I finally asked him.
“Mark, do you still have feelings for Claire?”
He looked genuinely surprised.
“What? No.”
“Then why do you compare everything I do to her?”
He sighed.
“You’re reading too much into it.”
