You sit at the dinner table, another quiet evening with Mason by your side, though it feels like you’re alone. His eyes are glued to his phone, fingers scrolling through work emails. The clink of silverware is the only sound in the room, punctuating the silence that has grown between you.

“Mason,” you say softly, trying to break through. He hums in response but doesn’t look up, the glowing screen still holding his attention.

Frustration wells up inside you, but you swallow it down, as you’ve done so many times before. It feels like no matter how close he physically is, Mason’s always a thousand miles away. You long for the days when you didn’t feel like a stranger in your own marriage.