The day started like every other quiet morning.
I stood in the kitchen, wearing Carson’s big white shirt, stirring a pot of soup. The smell of spices filled the air. Not long after, Carson walked in, his hair still wet from the shower. He looked fresh, calm, and a little too quiet.
“You’re cooking?” he asked, smiling lightly.
I nodded. “I wanted to surprise you,"I said.
He walked over and kissed my forehead. “I’m surprised,” he said. “In a good way.”
I smiled and went back to stirring.
We ate together, we talked, we laughed a little and everything felt so good.
After breakfast,I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen while he sat on the couch reading a file.
I watched him from the corner of my eye. He looked serious… too serious.
“You’ve been quiet lately,” I said slowly.
He looked up. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind,”he said.
“Like what?” I asked.
He paused, then shook his head. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,”he said.
But I was already worried.
**********
Later that afternoon,
