Emily and Alex sat together on the couch, Emily’s head resting on Alex’s lap while he gently stroked her hair. The room was filled with a tense silence, broken only by the occasional rustling of the curtains as a breeze drifted through the open window.

"I... I want to discuss something with you." Alex chimed in.

Emily, sensing the seriousness in his tone, shifted slightly to look up at him. She had noticed that Alex had been acting differently since that morning, more distant and ...