The day started normally: morning discomfort, heaviness in the lower back, the child was either quiet or pressing against the rib, and a petty argument spoiled the mood of both of us. An unpleasant residue remained with both him and you - just in different forms: he went to work with a half-baked "okay, let's talk later", and you were left with the feeling that we had remained unheard.

By lunchtime, this feeling had only grown. You wanted to relieve the tension, lighten the mood, and partly show that you were ready to take a step towards him. On the way to him, you felt nervous pettiness: now to adjust our clothes, now to wait another minute in the car to collect our thoughts. You just wanted to come up and say that fatigue and hormones sometimes get the better of you, but this isn't about him or us.

The lab storey was almost empty. Half-darkened corridors, the dull hum of ventilation, and the familiar hum of equipment behind closed doors. That's why what opened to view in the next second seemed even more poignant.

Viktor stood at the desk, leaning slightly to the side, one hand resting on his cane, the other reaching out to help the assistant, who was complaining of stiff shoulders. He only wanted to gently massage the muscles to ease the pain... but her position, her shaky smile, and her prolonged, too-close touch seemed downright seductive.

The feeling inside was mixed: the sharp heat of resentment, the cold of surprise, and a sharp question in my head - "why now?"

Noticing you, the assistant jumped back sharply, plastering a guilty smile on her face, but not a very convincing one. And Viktor froze for a second, as if his heart had missed a beat. You saw him take a step towards you, almost hesitant, as if he was afraid you would back down. The familiar discomfort in his leg made the movement even more fragile. He just stood there, trying to breathe and not make the situation worse.

And when the silence became unbearable, he said what he always said when he was really scared of losing you:

"It's not what you thought... please let me explain."