Rain Drowns Our Fading Embers

Summary

For six months I’d frozen out my firefighter husband, our marriage reduced to stagnant silence.

That evening, curled on the sofa scrolling my phone, I heard him choke back a sob. At first he clamped his jaw, breathing shallow, as if afraid to startle the dark. Then came the sniffle, his voice trembling and raw. “Kathryn… how much longer are we going to let this drag on?”

I turned my video volume higher. Colors flashed, but I didn’t register a word.

“It’s been six months since we last…” He faltered, choking on the words.