~FINDING MYSELF~
AMAYA
The day Ethan finally travelled, the house felt strangely quiet.
Not empty exactly. Maria still moved around warmly like she always did, and Ariel filled every corner with noise and questions and cartoons, but his absence was noticeable in a way I didn’t expect.
I hated admitting that to myself.
After breakfast, I wandered around the house restlessly, trying to figure out what to do with my time. Reading didn’t help. Watching television bored me after twenty minutes. Even scrolling through my phone became exhausting.
Then it suddenly hit me.
The gym. Before marriage, I loved working out. It used to be my thing. My escape. Back when I still cared about myself enough to maintain routines and goals and confidence.
“Maria,” I called while entering the kitchen, “i
