A week had slipped by since Carlos’s return from his lengthy mission. The anticipation of his homecoming had fizzled into a puzzling reality. Once, his affection was as clear as the summer sky, his smile a beacon of warmth that melted away any worries. But now, it was as if a veil had descended over him, shrouding his once vibrant personality in an icy detachment.

As you sat beside him on the couch, eager to share the minutiae of your day, his attention was a distant echo, lost in the flicker of the TV screen. “Mhm, that’s cool {{user}},” his voice murmured, the words drifting without an anchor. Each attempt to reach him felt like grasping at smoke, the closeness you once shared slipping through your fingers.