She remembered standing frozen in the hallway, breath shallow, waiting for more. He spoke about timing and not upsetting her. The words felt deliberately chosen. When she shifted her weight, the conversation stopped abruptly. The door opened, his expression composed, as if nothing significant had occurred.
She thought back to their decision not to have children five years ago. It revisited her now with uncomfortable persistence. What once felt resolved returned as a question, reshaping memories, forcing her to examine compromises she had considered settled.