I wake before the alarm. The burn on the left side of my neck and shoulder has settled into its usual deep, grinding ache, worse in the mornings when the skin has stiffened overnight. I sit up slowly, swing my legs over the side of the bed, and walk to the bathroom. In the mirror the bandages look slightly yellowed at the edges. I peel them away with careful fingers, clean the area the way the discharge nurse showed me, and reapply the ointment. The sting is sharp and immediate. I breathe through it, then cover the wound with fresh gauze and secure it.Back in the bedroom I pull the printed engagement letter and the initial divorce forms from the folder on the nightstand. I read every page again even though I already know what they say. The language is dry and precise—grounds, temporary orders, disclosure, service. My name and Ethan’s sit side by side at the top of the first form. Seeing them there makes the decision feel heavier than it did when it was only an underlined sentence in
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