Lily sat at the kitchen table, the envelope resting in front of her like a loaded gun.
Jack was in the shower, oblivious to the storm raging inside her. She had been home for an hour, but she hadn't moved, hadn't opened the envelope again. She just stared at it, as if it held all the answers.
Or all the mistakes.
She had lied to herself for years, convinced herself that she had made the right choice. That stability was enough. That Jack was enough.
But now, she wasn't sure anymore.
The sound of the shower stopped. A few minutes later, Jack walked into the kitchen, rubbing a towel through his damp hair. He smiled when he saw her.
"Hey," he said, leaning down to kiss her temple. "You okay? You seem… distracted."
Lily forced a smile. "Just tired."
Jack eyed her for a moment, then sat across from her. "Long day at work?"
She hesitated. "I, uh… ran into an old friend."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Anyone I know?"
She swallowed. "Mark."
His expression stiffened—just barely, but she noticed. Jack had never been jealous, never the controlling type, but he knew about Mark. Knew that Lily had once been in love with him in a way that had nearly consumed her.
Jack leaned back slightly. "That's… unexpected."
She nodded. "Yeah."
He studied her, his gaze flickering to the envelope on the table. "What's that?"
Lily's pulse spiked. "Just some old photos."
Jack waited, but she didn't elaborate. He didn't push, didn't demand answers. That was the thing about Jack—he trusted her.
Or maybe he just didn't want to know.
Lily's fingers curled against the edge of the envelope. She could tell him everything right now. She could lay it all out—her doubts, her confusion, the way seeing Mark had made her feel like she was waking up from a years-long sleep.
But she didn't.
Because if she admitted it out loud, she would have to do something about it.
And she wasn't ready for that.
Not yet.
Jack exhaled, pushing back from the table. "I'm gonna start dinner. Want some wine?"
She nodded, and just like that, the moment passed.
But as Jack moved around the kitchen, humming to himself, Lily realized something.
This wasn't going away.
No matter how hard she tried to bury it, the truth was there, staring her in the face.
She had spent years convincing herself she had chosen the right life.
But now, for the first time, she wasn't sure if she had chosen at all.
And that uncertainty?
It would eat her alive.