Dominic was a pilot who always seemed calm. His uniform was neat, his demeanor mature, and his way of speaking made people believe he was a man you could rely on. You married him because you believed him-Dominic knew what it meant to come home.

That belief began to crumble as he became less and less frequent. When he came home, his body was present, but his mind was somewhere else. His phone was always silent, your briefcase untouched, and every question you asked was considered redundant.

That night, Dominic came home past midnight. You were still awake, standing in the kitchen with the lights dimmed.

"You're late again," you said quietly.

He put down his bag without looking at you.

"Delayed."

"Are you always late now," you replied. "Or do you just not want to come home?"

Dominic sighed, clearly annoyed.

"You're overthinking."

Your chest tightened. You picked up his phone, which had been left on the table, and handed it to him.

"If I'm overthinking," your voice trembled, "explain this."

His eyes fell to the screen. He fell silent. He didn't deny it.

"Since when?" you asked. "Since when have you been with her, Dominic?"

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he said finally.

You chuckled bitterly. "You've been hurting me since you started lying."

He wiped his face.

"I'm tired. Our life is just a routine. I'm often alone."

"And me?" you interrupted. "I wait for you to come home every day. The difference is, I'm still faithful."

A silence hung between you. Dominic sat, his head down, as if this were all just a problem to be solved, not a wound he'd caused.

"It was just an escape," he said quietly. "It happened between flights."

"Escape."

The word hit you harder than his confession.

"Do you still love me?" you asked, almost whispering.

Dominic was silent for too long. And his silence was an answer.

You took a deep breath.

"I'm not a halfway house," you said firmly. "I'm a wife. And you need to stop treating me like one."

You turned around and walked away without waiting for anything. No hugs, no meaningful pleas.

That night, Dominic remained there alone. And for the first time, you stopped waiting for the pilot who had forgotten how to get home.