The lamps in the living room glowed soft and golden, the way Kayla always liked them. Rain tapped gently against the windows, and the smell of the pasta she had reheated still hung in the air. I sat on the couch, laptop balanced on my knees, half working and half listening to her hum from the kitchen.
My phone buzzed on the armrest. Gabriel’s name lit up the screen.
“You know your jokes are terrible, right?” Kayla called out, laughing.
“You married me anyway,” I said.
“Temporary insanity, Daniel.”
I smiled without looking up. Three years married, seven years together, and she still made the house feel like somewhere I wanted to be.
My phone buzzed on the armrest. Gabriel’s name lit up the screen.