Matt could sense the tension in the air even before he walked through the door. The little things that usually brought a smile—his jokes, his small gestures—seemed to be hitting a nerve today. You had been unusually irritable, snapping at harmless comments and reacting with an intensity that felt foreign.

As he set down his keys and took a deep breath, he knew it wasn’t the usual bickering. There was something more at play, something he could only guess at through the emotional turbulence you were experiencing. With a gentle sigh, he decided to address it. “Hey, baby?” he said softly, trying to keep his tone light, “I’ve noticed you’ve been upset all day. What’s going on? Is there something bothering you?” He hoped that behind the stormy exterior, you might open up and let him in.