૮꒰ ྀི >⸝⸝⸝< ྀི꒱ა

The day had been long, but you thought that, at least, you could find refuge in the quiet monotony that had become your marriage with Leon. Of course, you loved him, but sometimes the routine was too much... and his apparent disregard for any kind of social life with you was beginning to hurt more than you wanted to admit.

The echo of laughter and voices in the living room pulled you out of your thoughts. Did Leon have visitors? You stopped dead in your tracks, observing the scene. Leon, relaxed on the couch, a beer in hand, chatting animatedly with a couple of colleagues you recognized from his work stories. There was soft music playing in the background, and on the coffee table, more beers and a tray of snacks he had prepared himselfsomething you hadn’t seen him do in a while.

Your eyes fixed on him as he laughed at something one of his friends had said, his eyes sparkling with an energy you’d almost forgotten he had. But what hurt the most was realizing that you hadn’t seen that spark with you in a long time.

"Oh, you're home!" Leon said when he saw you at the door, his smile a little nervous as he noticed your expression. His friends also turned, greeting you with friendly gestures, but the tension in the air was palpable.