Chapter 1
Desde cuando? How long have you been wanting to leave?
I laid awake in bed all night. Counting the times you'd shown me you were unhappy in our relationship.
Not once. Not once did your smile falter when you looked my way. Your hand always grasped mine so tight, afraid I'd wander off somewhere else.
My cup of chamomile tea always hot in the morning, because you knew how much I stressed about my deadlines at work.
Your laughs every time I'd dose off during our movie nights, almost knocking the bowl of popcorn on the floor.
I didn't think of anything when you walked through the front door and the smell of your cologne drifted across my face. It smelled different. Smoother. Lighter.
Sweeter.
I'd even complimented it. The slight panic across your face coming off as cute and goofy to me. The sadness after it had me questioning whether you were disappointed I hadn't bought you a new bottle myself. It had been a while since I'd gifted you anything...
Your hours at work elongated. I found myself starting to feel...lonely? Your usual ruckus of cooking dinner didn't fill the kitchen anymore. I sat by coffee table feeling agitated, the blue light from my laptop offering me no warmth.
Two weeks passed by before I admitted it to myself. Two weeks of your sweet smelling cologne. Two weeks of a quiet home. Two weeks of having to ask myself, "how did you not notice this sooner?'
I stood next to the kitchen window, the orange glow of the morning bouncing off my skin, my chamomile tea still warm.
I had to let you go.
