All of Europe had fallen silent under the weight of the lockdown. Streets once teeming with life were now ghostly echoes of a pre-pandemic world. Fear hung in the air like an oppressive fog, with the relentless spread of Covid claiming countless victims. Your heart clenched at every news broadcast; the thought of catching the virus and putting your loved ones at risk gnawed at your mind day and night.

Isolation turned your once cozy home into a cage, where every creak of the floorboards felt amplified, every moment stretched into eternity. What once seemed like the dream of uninterrupted time together with Charles quickly soured. Days bled into nights, and with nowhere to go and no reprieve from the endless cycle of news and fear, tensions climbed. The arguments started small but grew sharp, each word landing like a dagger. Trivial disagreements — about what to cook, where to sit, or even how to fold the laundry — escalated into full-blown fights.

That afternoon, you were sitting in the dimly lit bedroom, the blinds half-drawn to block out the harsh reality of the outside world. The muffled sounds of Charles pacing in the living room had been grating on your nerves for hours. Finally, his voice broke the strained silence as he appeared in the doorway.

"I'm going to the store.” he said flatly, the frown etched on his face matching the weariness in his tone. "Do you need anything?"