Cracked In The Glass

Lucas sat in silence next to Ava, his gaze fixed out the window as they made their way toward the gala. Ava, on the other hand, was preoccupied with her phone, scrolling through social media, checking updates on the event they were about to attend.

“Looks like everyone’s already arrived,” she murmured, showing him a photo of some A-list couple walking the red carpet. “We’ll make a grand entrance, as always.”

Lucas forced a smile, but inside,he was just so fed up. 

He knew what tonight represented—another evening of playing pretend, of standing by Ava’s side as they smiled for the cameras, a united front masking the growing distance between them. 

They arrived at the venue, a grand hotel illuminated with dazzling lights, and the chauffeur opened the door for them. 

As soon as Ava stepped out, the flash of cameras erupted, a chorus of photographers calling their names. She flashed her most radiant smile, taking Lucas’s arm as they posed for the cameras.

For a moment, Lucas played along, slipping into the familiar role of the doting husband, standing tall beside his stunning wife. 

But even as they posed, the weight of what he needed to say hung heavily between them.

They made their way inside, the grand ballroom glittering with chandeliers and filled with the city’s elite. 

Waiters circulated with trays of champagne, and soft music played in the background.

Ava was immediately swept into conversation with some fashion mogul, her laughter bright and infectious as she charmed everyone around her.

 Lucas lingered on the edge of the crowd, his hand gripping a glass of champagne he hadn’t even sipped from.

Declan’s words echoed in his mind: You need to have that conversation, Lucas. Sooner rather than later.

As the evening wore on, Lucas’s patience thinned. He watched as Ava flitted from one group to the next, her energy focused entirely on impressing the right people, maintaining her image.

It had always been about the image with her. But tonight, Lucas couldn’t ignore the growing resentment inside him. He couldn’t keep pretending that this was enough—that the glitz and glamour could fill the void that had grown between them.

Finally, when there was a brief lull in the crowd around her, Lucas seized the moment. He gently took Ava’s arm, pulling her aside to a quieter corner of the ballroom.

“We need to talk,” Lucas said, his voice low but firm.

Ava looked up at him, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Now? Lucas, we’re at a gala. Can’t this wait?”

“No,” he replied, his tone resolute. “It can’t.”

She blinked, clearly taken aback by his seriousness. “Okay… what’s going on?”

Lucas took a deep breath, steadying himself. This wasn’t going to be easy, but he couldn’t keep avoiding it. “Ava, I can’t keep doing this. These events, the public appearances, pretending everything’s fine… when it’s not. Our marriage is—”

“Lucas, don’t,” Ava cut in, her eyes darting around nervously as if she was worried someone might overhear. “This isn’t the time or place for this.”

“It’s never the time, is it?” Lucas pressed, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “Whenever I try to talk to you about us, you brush it off. I’ve been patient, Ava. I’ve waited for you to be ready to start a family. But it feels like every time I bring it up, you push me further away. So I thought maybe you will listen to me in a setting like this”

Ava’s expression hardened, her earlier warmth replaced by defensiveness. “I told you my career is important to me. I’m finally in a place where I’m making a name for myself. I can’t just give that up.”

“I’m not asking you to give it up,” Lucas said, his voice softening. “But what about what I want? What about the family we talked about before we got married? We’ve been together for four years, Ava. And every time I bring it up, you act like it’s the last thing on your mind.”

Ava crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. “I’m not ready to have a baby, Lucas. I thought you understood that.”

Lucas’s jaw tightened, and he took a step closer, lowering his voice. “I do understand, but when will you be ready? You keep saying it’s not the right time, but it feels like the right time will never come. And I can’t keep putting my dreams on hold forever.”

For a moment, Ava didn’t respond. She stared at him, her lips pressed into a thin line. Then she sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. “Lucas, I’m not trying to be difficult. But my career is just starting to take off. Having a baby now would ruin everything I’ve worked for. I’m not like those other women who are content to just be a wife and mother.”

Lucas shook his head, his heart sinking. “I never said you had to choose between your career and being a mother. But this… this isn’t working. We’re not working.”

Ava’s eyes widened in surprise, and for the first time that night, Lucas saw a flicker of fear behind her perfect facade. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that if we don’t figure this out, I don’t know how much longer we can keep pretending,” Lucas said quietly, the weight of his words hang heavily between them.

Ava stared at him, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. 

The fear in her eyes was unmistakable now, but so was the defiance.

“You want a baby that badly?” she asked, her voice sharp. “You’re willing to throw everything we’ve built away because I’m not ready to be a mother?”

Lucas shook his head, his heart aching at the way she was twisting his words. “I’m not saying that. But I’m saying we need to meet each other halfway. I need to know that you’re willing to even consider having a family someday.”

Ava’s gaze hardened, and she took a step back, creating more distance between them. “I can’t give you an answer right now. But I’ll tell you one thing, I’m not going to throw away my career for a baby.”

Lucas felt his heart drop. There it was. The cold, hard truth. She wasn’t willing to compromise. Not even a little.

They stood in silence for what felt like an eternity, the lively chatter of the gala continuing around them, oblivious to the turmoil between them.

Ava opened her mouth to say something else but before she could, a voice interrupted them.

“Ava! Lucas!” Chloe Winters appeared beside them, her perfect smile plastered across her face as she pulled Ava into a hug. “You both look amazing tonight! Are you ready for the press shots? They’re just dying to get a few of you two together.”

Lucas forced a smile, though the tension between him and Ava hadn’t lessened. “Of course,” he said, his voice neutral.

Ava quickly recovered, slipping her arm through his and turning back to Chloe with a dazzling smile. “Let’s go, then. We don’t want to keep them waiting.”

Chloe led them toward the photographers, chattering away about the latest fashion trends and upcoming events, completely oblivious to the strained silence between Lucas and Ava. 

As the cameras flashed and they posed together for what felt like the hundredth time, Lucas’s thoughts drifted back to their conversation.

Things change. People change. Ava’s words echoed in his mind, and for the first time, Lucas wondered if they were both holding on to something that had already slipped through their fingers.

_____

The drive home was silent, the weight of the unresolved argument sits heavily between them. 

Lucas stared out the window, lost in thought, while Ava sat with her phone in hand, her thumb scrolling through her social media feed.

 Every now and then, the screen lit up with notifications, likely about their appearance at the gala. To the outside world, they were still the perfect couple. 

But inside that limo, the cracks in their relationship were impossible to ignore.

Maybe it's really coming to an end