Point

cks softly,

closer to my chest. The room smells like lemon soap and c

oo

wards me. Adrian. He has a bunch of

tly. "Good mo

ike soft eyelids. Pink like the sun setting o

"Why thos

. "You've always loved these." Roses in the garden th

up tightly und

oved. Goo

knows my heart

y, "I didn'

to," he sa

ushes a fallen petal with his fingers and watches it for

il my back touc

eep?" To your left, right? You always loo

eath

t, pressing against my own leg

w do you k

I'm your husband. Every n

ng up my neck. Not mad. Not scared. Som

metimes you curl you

ing his fingers in like a

I saw it th

omach

't know th

ks. "How can you say

to my bed. Slowly. With care. A

u." "I woke up next to you. I know how you

hang heavy

him. Loo

k me in, soft and deep, as if he'

ls too

king. His eyes follow the movement, and something sharp

. "Thank you for

mile. "You always said that fresh flowers

st

d is alw

Stop acting like y

hing," he says softl

y. "You know one s

aced by something sad. His fing

thing when you were mad." "You would tu

ok up and me

if to calm a scared animal. L

lders g

eing honest

sound in the room is the sof

fee?" I know you like your coffee in the morning

t skips

aste the coffe

str

i

ac

s he kn

"Stop. "Just sto

w gets tense. A muscle

ays softly.

his eyes keep

like he's looking inside me.

wn too quickly. I hold

asy. Something that hurts. Something t

n." "Are you tell

body sto

ks once

ns his shoulders, and speaks in a low, st

"But yo

in a low voice.

ad a little

ove, but he

. The way I drink coffee. The way I move my ha

ows a

n't know

nto a small bag that

't br

taking out?"

m me down again. "It's fi

stu

bon that is cream-coloured. G

k inside me m

m. "You used to we

ok a

ight. My finger

side. Like a memory that tries to swim up

No." I don't... I

Just a little. B

back to his chest, where he presses it for a mo

r," he say

he pink roses. The small fan in th

omeone is watching m

oftly. "What if y

up. "Ab

out

shakes. "

qui

e chair makes a littl

eyes soften again, but there is something dark hiding unde

loved you." I still love

omach

im and sear

his voice is lower. "And you d

he blanket until it loo

ber anything,"

nd hope mixed together. "T

nd carefully, like he's

just a few in

I?" h

at hi

long

still stuck

th is s

want him to be clo

know a

hispers. "Let

seems too small. It's t

ells. His voi

d is s

is beatin

feels

is not a stranger, kno

ng but o

th that

his hand

something

door fli

oth

side, her face

you outside right away," out

stiff

urns to fac

... his eyes

wal

"What p

and then at him again.

bout he

art s

fi

f

into the hallway and

tops for

w gets

s if something dangerous ju

teps out

oor s

myself, looking a

in my file that made

g why... why the n