That night, the bed felt wider than usual. Julian stayed on the very edge, his back a wall of cotton pajamas and silence.
"It must be tiring," I said to the ceiling. "Being married to a girl who needs a dictionary to talk to you."
He turned his head slightly, just enough for me to see his profile. "What are you talking about?"
"You're a man of the future, Julian. And I… I think I'm done belonging to you."
I reached for the agreement on the nightstand and set it between us. "Sign it. When you find someone who actually understands the things you care about, you won't have to worry about me."
He stared at the paper in the dim light. Then he reached to the bedside table for his pen. The sound of the nib scratching the paper was the loudest thing in the room.
"So we're just... friends?" he asked. He didn't look at me when he said it.
"Sure," I said. "Friends."