The air between them was thick with silence, a fragile moment suspended in time. The distant buzz of drones faded away, leaving only the soothing sounds of the garden and the gentle chime of tea cups cooling on the table.
Emily watched him closely.
Arthur typically kept his defenses up, but tonight, one of those barriers had weakened.
She noticed the heaviness in his gaze,the unvoiced memories, the sleepless nights spent planning uncertain futures for their family. Beneath it all was a deep loneliness hidden behind the weight of his responsibilities.
"Arthur," she said softly, "do you ever reflect on the past?"
He looked at her, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Reflect on what?"
"On that boy who used to sit in the corner of our living room in Aurelia," she said, her voice gentle. "The one scribbling numbers on a notepad, keeping track of every coin, figuring out how to make sure we had enough to eat."
