Ryan wasn’t sure when the tension of the morning began to ease, but it happened somewhere between buttoning his shirt and glancing over at Eve, who stood by the mirror fastening her earrings. The resentment and fury from his argument with Leah still clung to him like shadows, but the moment he looked at his wife, all of it softened into something quieter, something grounded. He reminded himself that today was for her. For them. For the small pocket of joy they had managed to preserve in the midst of chaos.
“Ready?” he asked, his voice gentler than he felt.
Eve turned, her smile small but warm. “Yes.”
Those three letters worked magic on him. They always had.
They got into the car, and the drive into the city felt unusually serene. The morning traffic was a gentle hum around them; the su
