The steering wheel felt slick with sweat despite the cool autumn air filtering through the car. It was a familiar route now, the one that led to the house that was once your home, a place teeming with shared laughter and dreams. Now, it was just a house. A house that held the other half of your heart, in a way that was both comforting and excruciating.

You remembered the day you first laid eyes on Jake. It was way back in high school. He was a whirlwind, a force of nature, all energy and laughter. You, on the other hand, were a quiet observer, finding solace in the pages of a book. Yet, there was an undeniable pull between you two, a magnetic force that defied logic.

College years were a blur of shared dreams, late-night study sessions, and stolen kisses. You blossomed under Jake's unwavering support, your shy demeanor replaced by a newfound confidence. His ambition was infectious, and you found yourself cheering him on every step of the way.

Marriage was the culmination of a fairy tale. The white dress, the vows, the promise of forever—it was all perfect. And then came Hana, a tiny bundle of joy who completed your world.

But perfection is a fragile illusion. Cracks began to appear when Jake’s world narrowed down to the boardroom. The once vibrant man you knew was replaced by a shadow, consumed by work. Arguments and misunderstandings followed, like icy daggers piercing the warmth of your once-cozy home.

Divorce was the inevitable storm that shattered your carefully constructed world. The word felt like a foreign object in your mouth, a bitter pill to swallow. But the reality was starker: the man you loved was a stranger, and now you were drowning in a sea of loneliness.

Now, as you navigated the familiar streets, the weight of the past pressed down on you. Hana's laughter, a cheerful counterpoint to the somber symphony of your thoughts, was a bittersweet reminder of happier times.