opcorn and old carpet, and Toria

months, she wasn't waiting for

y, a thriller whose ending she barely remembered, and a romance where a ma

against her mouth, crying so quietly that the str

hat woman on

sing her, but because someo

one needed her to be a daughter, a

She walked along the harbour wall with her shoes i

answered questions, the endless arguments about children, and the husb

the water, she thought, wit

feels like to

t when she finally tu

it up almost

ne miss

om one

ri

mach ti

, scrolling through them as if

y, sometimes three time

ere no

even

ne into her handbag

s dark when

ad no intention of explaining herself tonight. She was exhausted, and f

s inside before a hand

scre

mp sna

ild, his shirt creased, and his chest he

s, To

r shoulders, and her arms, turnin

anyone touch you? W

cked on the l

sto

ouldn't

jaw. His thumb trembled slig

mething so raw and frightened that every wall

s wor

orried a

" she wh

tters s

changed so quickly she almost qu

ld, perfectly and

as though she

e wer

s in her ch

ut

you fort

ount

w tigh

ere yo

alone. Is that

handbag, then b

lie t

not l

appeared for an entire day withou

ne? O

es nar

or

ent out. I watched movies. I ate. I walke

ldn't answer

n't wa

at followed wa

him decide

an afternoon, and I'm meant

ips p

en months, and you still can't

inside h

emember cros

he flat crack of her

ned his fa

d, her fists were hamm

not a

ht her

to

ing you use wheneve

ria

some machine you expe

oice

ents, lonely nights, and unanswere

until her strengt

lled her a

nd before collapsing, her f

id no

racing benea

n racing for for

, he'd actually been

rgivable," he

rough and un

said. I'

away and wi

You'r

wait for

nt ups

t enter th

om smelled of l

ed bed, staring at th

th hands again

ething Chriss

ly that sometimes she convince

go, she'd be

ink l

bling fingers, waiting for the overwhelming happiness everyone said

y neve

instead

animal

would give him another reason to control her,

, a crying baby, and a husband wh

r, she woke up i

tic. A doctor had spoken gently

embered

bered the

feeling something f

li

ightened her more than

anted the

wanted to escape the l

never to

a bad cramp and

e of the night, a small voi

ou wanted

arms and rocked gently unti

pened with

rtsleeves, looking at t

e small bag she'd drag

om is down

bedr

nside and sh

uddenly fe

t u

N

ows drew

ha

im, although her kn

. I'm done

start

ex with you. Not tonight, not tomorrow, not u

rossed

n a

ould have called pan

re my

our pr

this unnecessar

laugh esc

I'm standing, you've made

hand over

derstand what

expl

despite her effo

You barely speak to me unless it's about getting

le

ht they met, measuring, unreadable, dec

he said very quietly

d between them like

stared

ied me be

stop

e he'd

er had said it w

and convinced that marrying the man she wanted was

ever ques

on

understanding cra

since she'd known him

sleep,"

d left, closing t

tanding in the m

'd believed she understo

'd left behind, she wasn't sur