asure time by Vi

e when

t when h

s around meetings t

s was normal. Victor was ambitious. Important. Busy. A man

ieved, meant

learned

ing bega

Then holidays postponed. Then birthdays celebrated

er meant t

s the p

med she would

he first anniversa

verything the way she knew he liked it. She even lit

clock, she

ce," Victor said, dist

te?" sh

pause. Pap

now. Don't

ited a

the candles h

intly of coffee and exhaustion. He kissed her foreh

went into

mention it

mentioned

apartment, Naomi replayed th

rpris

reopen old wounds, that the pa

ooking at a life that n

laptop and star

ng gap under h

e ye

f being Victo

the lapto

s," she murmu

ep at

ice overlook

ts, watching the water move steadily below. Hi

hedule f

h meeting," Vict

inked.

d canc

sitated, then no

t know why h

ing thought. But as the morning dragged on,

nd himself chec

essa

him reminders. Note

you

rget you

e sa

nce felt

ctor went home e

eeted him wi

lig

mus

nt of

chen and opened the re

nearl

itation flare

e to clean it o

aid it, somethin

ays kept the

s pre

s wai

t at her small desk, fill

ith each completed form. She had skills. She had

anym

ne buzz

ct

he name until t

he phone face dow

d her silence

the

, impatience had

stubborn," he

into his thoughts,

oesn't come b

call Naomi ag

pride. It was habit. He had grown used to being the one whos

d always

s only trying

e house f

kept small things there without realizing it-notes scribbled on paper towels, grocery lists written

re was

cabinet, t

gs wer

em-just the o

unease crept

muttered, closing the cab

't reassure him th

s learning how to ex

someone else's meetings or delays. She walked to a nearby café each m

d-alone in public, no longer

ly, that fe

came someth

fid

cation popped u

ation. We would like to i

for a long moment,

n't a

was a b

top and allowed he

oticed the change be

ately," she said cautious

oked up.

rescheduled three

was u

y now becoming aware of it. He wav

to his office, the si

e and scrolled thr

me filled

e sa

you

l w

sto

over one message

er. I'll ke

t remember

struck him harder

past Naomi's favorite gro

felt in

t the red light, staring

re even though it was farther from h

r gone insi

grip on the steerin

iew was schedu

night, adjusting her blouse. The woman

posture. Cl

invis

hone

ct

et it

use, she turned

ut of

f nec

ning arriv

restlessness pulling him from sleep. He dresse

ce, he realized som

from Naomi reminding

connecting his

me, the absence

at sca