When I arrived, I froze at the sight of Dan’s shoes by the door. From the bedroom came muffled sounds, and dread gripped me. My heart pounded as I rushed in, bracing for betrayal. Instead, I found Dan kneeling beside my mom, gently helping her sit up—she had thrown her back out and called him in desperation.
Relief and guilt crashed over me. While I had been imagining the worst, Dan was simply being the man I had once fallen for—kind, dependable, and selfless. That night, after settling Mom in, Dan and I finally talked. I admitted how alone I had been feeling, and he apologized for letting work consume him. For the first time in months, we were honest with each other.
