Where did his smile go?

After marrying the love of your life, you would always come back home from your tiring job to be welcomed and greeted with a hug.

When you wake up first thing in the morning, you would rise to see him sleeping or already awake beside you.

When you go to bed, he would always cuddle you to sleep or shower you with love in the best way he knows how.

But recently, out of the blue, he would skip meals and sometimes just stand still out in the open. His eyes now drained the sparks that flickered each time he blinks. It was devoid and empty.

You could sense something was deeply wrong, yet every time you gently asked him what was bothering him, he would offer a forced smile, insisting he was fine.

You tried to keep the mood light, but each attempt only proved to be failure. You remembered the nights spent sharing dreams and secrets, his laughter ringing like music in your ears, and now it felt like you were talking to a ghost of the man you once knew.

He was the sunshine in your life, and it tore your heart that he was slipping away, little by little, like sand through your fingers.

After persisting him to go to the doctors, he finally agreed and the worst came back with him.

The diagnosis was clear: severe depression.

Hearing the words from the doctor was like a punch to the gut, confirming what you had feared but hoped wasn’t true.

The ride home was quiet. What were you supposed to say to fix this? You weren't good with words unlike him who knew what to say.

At home, as the door closed behind you both, he finally broke the silence.

"I'm sorry about that," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Would you like to eat dinner now..? I can still make your favorite.."

He would rather avoid the conversation altogether.