She remembered that there had once been a time when Alexander smiled every single day. He smiled whenever Aurelia entered the room, whenever she praised his cooking, and whenever she simply called his name. But over time, those smiles had disappeared.It was not because Alexander had changed. It was because those smiles had been worn away, one disappointment at a time.Aurelia wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I kept asking myself why he wouldn’t even look back,” she said, laughing bitterly under her breath. “But now I know. He looked back too many times. I was the one who never turned around.”The suite fell quiet again, and the ticking of the wall clock grew unbearably loud in the silence.After several minutes, Aurelia suddenly reached for another bottle, but her friend caught her wrist before she could lift it. “You’ve had enough.”“No.” Aurelia pulled free with surprising force. “I haven’t. If I stop drinking, I’ll remember everything.”“You already remember everything.”

Although she had only heard scattered pieces of the story from Alexander and Clara, she understood enough to know that the relationship between husband and wife had long since reached its breaking point.Instead of questioning them further, she simply let out a quiet sigh. “The mornings are still cold,” she said. “If you stay out here any longer, both of you will end up with a fever.”She stepped aside and opened the door wider. “Come inside.”Vivian blinked in surprise. “You don’t mind?”Clara offered her a polite smile. “It isn’t my habit to leave people freezing outside,” she replied. Then she lowered her voice slightly and added, “Besides, I doubt Alexander would want that either.”With considerable effort, Vivian helped the still-sleeping Aurelia to her feet, and together they made their way inside. The warmth of the house wrapped around them almost immediately.Clara guided them into the living room. “Sit down,” she said. “I’ll get some hot water.”Within minutes, two steaming m