Love Behind The Mask

~ Hollow Anniversary ~ The soft hum of the oven ticked against the silence of the house as Sarah adjusted the candlesticks on the dining table for the third time. Today marked seven years since she said ‘I do’ at the altar to her husband, Jake Lawson. It was their seventh wedding anniversary, a milestone, and she had hoped that today would be the start of a change in their lives. ‘Seven is the number of perfection, right? ' Everything is going to be alright from now on,’ she muttered a wishful prayer in her heart. After their marriage, Jake was the perfect husband. Doing everything he possibly could do to make her happy. He was perfect, until he wasn’t, until he changed overnight, and a marriage that she was supposed to enjoy became something that she had to endure. Little by little, he began to drift away from her. No matter what she tried to do, no matter how many ‘bestselling’ books she read and practiced, hoping to save her marriage, Jake kept on drifting further and further away. For a while, she had given up on their marriage, but she knew deep in her heart that she had got to fix it. She chose this day, their seventh year anniversary, a perfect date, and yes, it was a Friday too, so Jake wouldn’t have the excuse of having to sleep since he had work to do the next day. She had made sure everything was perfect and to her husband’s liking. She had arranged the table carefully, paying attention to every single detail: white plates with delicate gold trim, cloth napkins folded into neat triangles, the wineglasses polished until they gleamed, the cutlery set at perfectly measured distances. She truly had gone all out. She even ironed the tablecloth, a task she despised, but she wanted tonight to feel special. It had to be that perfect night she had imagined. The aroma of lemon and garlic wafted into the dining room from the kitchen, mingling with the faint scent of the lavender candles she had lit. Sarah looked at her table one more time and gave a wide smile. “This is perfect” she whispered. ‘He’d said he’d be home before 6,’ she muttered in her thoughts. She glanced at the clock one more time, it was 6:30 already. At first, she didn’t mind that he wasn’t home before 6, just like he had promised. After all, she still had a few adjustments to make, but with over thirty minutes gone, she was starting to feel her hope for a perfect night melt away like the wax of the candle on the table. The minutes crawled by, and as thirty minutes turned into one hour, the little hope Sarah had left in her heart began to dim. By the time she heard Jake’s car pull into the driveway, the roasted vegetables had cooled, and her hands had gone clammy from wringing the edge of her apron. She no longer felt excited. She couldn’t even bring herself to rush to the door to scream 'Welcome home babe!’ Her face was covered with a huge grin, she could not hide her excitement. The door creaked open, and Jake stepped inside, a tired look plastered across his face. His tie hung loose around his neck, and his shirt was rumpled as if it had been tugged at all day. He just dropped his briefcase by the door without looking up, even though he had noticed Sarah from the side of his eyes when he had walked in. “You’re late,” she said softly, trying to sound polite, so she could avoid unnecessary arguments. But her shaky voice betrayed the disappointment that she was trying to hide. Jake finally looked up at the dinner and sighed as though it was a chore. “Yeah, work ran late. "Sorry,” he mumbled, brushing past her and walking straight to the dining room. Sarah forced a smile, trailing behind him. “I … uh … I made your favorite—lemon herb chicken,” she said, trying to rekindle the celebrative atmosphere she prepared for their dinner together. Jake had not gotten the hint that it was their anniversary, it had totally skipped his mind. “Looks good,” he said flatly, pulling out a chair. He didn’t glance at the table, didn’t notice the candles, the carefully chosen wine, or the effort she had poured into making tonight feel meaningful. Jake picked up his fork and began eating without another word. He didn’t talk about work like a normal couple would. He didn’t even ask her how her day went. Nothing. He just sat and stuffed his mouth with the food she had prepared for him. His other hand reached for his phone, and the soft glow of the screen lit his face as he scrolled. Sarah silently watched him from across the table, her appetite evaporating from his behavior, but she didn’t want to give up. “So… how was your day?” she asked, trying to initiate a conversation. She was determined to make it a memorable night. “Busy,” Jake replied. He didn’t even bother to look up at Sarah, not even once. A notification buzzed, and Jake’s hand moved quickly to flip the phone over, hiding the screen from view. His actions were so swift, so casual, that any one else could have missed them. But Sarah didn’t. She had been married to him for seven years. If she didn’t know his quirks like that, what else could she have possibly known? “Must be important,” she said, her eyes fixed on the phone, with her voice light but probing. “Just … uh … It’s just work stuff,” he replied, barely looking up. Sarah wanted to say something to him, but she swallowed her words and nodded, swallowing the knot of hurt that had lodged in her throat. The lavender candles burned lower, their flames casting long, flickering shadows across the walls. The silence between them was thick, with the sound of Jake’s fork scraping against his plate. Accepting her defeat, Sarah retreated into her shell and just ate her dinner in silence and watched him till he was done and, without another word, he got up and went straight to the room. Jake still had not acknowledged the fact that today was their anniversary. As he rose to his feet in an attempt to walk out of the dining room. "Jake. "Happy anniversary." Sarah called out in a low tone, barely above a whisper. Jake nodded his head in response as he slowly disappeared out of her sight. Sarah stood by the dining table. She felt tears prick from the corner of her eyes as fear overwhelmed her. Jake's nonchalant attitude was beginning to scare her. Was he slowly losing interest in her?