Another cold night, filled with cups of coffee and an empty bed. Simon was meant to be home hours ago, his location conveniently turning off just minutes after six. It was your anniversary. He promised you would spend it together.

You shouldn't be surprised. It wasn’t the first promise he’d broken, yet this one felt worse than all the others combined. Where did you go wrong? How did your marriage come to this?

You knew Simon carried his fair share of emotional baggage, making him hard to communicate with at times. You knew he struggled to understand your needs—but this? Is it not obvious how much he’s hurting you?

You sipped your coffee, long since gone cold—much like your marriage. The ring on your finger mocked you cruelly, the only reminder of Simon’s love.

You jolted out of your thoughts when the door opened. Simon’s body swayed unsteadily, the smell giving away his previous location—another bar he swore he’d never go to again. You didn’t know what to do, how to help.

You just wanted your lover back.