No one knew that behind closed doors, our home turned into a madhouse. Where babies feared to cry, where flowers were planted to die. No one knew we built thick walls and let in only the weakest sunlight. No one knew I struggled to breathe each morning, because each night you rolled away from me. No one knew, not even you, that I stirred the air just enough to keep us from suffocating. I sang silent songs, tiptoed around in circles. But you were too proud to notice. And no one else knew.

We’re at your cottage, wrapped in a blanket. You give me that enticing look, part Romeo, part Casanova. You tell the stories you love. I listen, but all I notice is you. Your eyes, sparkling in the dark. Your lips, mine. Your chest, rising and falling. You bring the kind of peace I’ve never known before. The fireplace crackles. Pour me some more wine. Let’s stay like this forever.