The initial thing I noticed that morning was the absence of warmth beside me. Adam had slept in my room but he was gone. I reached over instinctively, hand brushing against chill sheets. No surprise… this has been the pattern lately. Early mornings, sunrise calls, messages buzzing on silent as I lay awake and watched shadows creep up walls. And we also didn't want the kids to see us in the same bed so…
I cautiously sat up, brushing sleep from my eyes. A gentle sigh escaped my mouth, one that I hadn't even known I was holding. Part of me relaxed in relief. I had space to breathe, to gather myself but a part of me also ached.
Downstairs, the house sprang to life with morning sounds of cereal clattering into bowls, spoons scraping against glassware, and muffled giggles drifting from the kit
