“Excellent? You still leave your socks beside the bed.”
“That’s not a marriage problem. That’s a personality trait.”
We laughed together.
He kissed my forehead, and for one foolish moment, I felt the same warmth I had felt when we were young.
I had no idea that the man holding me was already making plans to meet another woman the following evening.
The discovery happened the night before our celebration.
Daniel had gone outside to water the tomato plants in our small backyard. He loved gardening, especially in the evenings, when the air cooled and the neighborhood grew quiet.
His phone lay on the kitchen table.
I was preparing tea when the screen lit up.
I wasn’t searching through his belongings. I wasn’t suspicious. I had simply walked past the table when a message appeared.
The sender’s name was saved as “S.”
The message read:
“I can’t stop thinking about last night. Tomorrow will be difficult with everyone around, but I still want to see you. Same place afterward. Promise me you won’t change your mind.”
