When Emma first said she needed space, the words were delivered gently, almost with care. On the surface, they sounded reasonable, even considerate. Internally, however, the impact was immediate and constricting, as though an unspoken truth had suddenly taken hold.
At the outset, the request was interpreted as temporary. It was understood as a pause rather than a separation, a moment for reflection rather than a step toward departure. The belief was that long-term relationships naturally experience fluctuations, periods where distance can serve as a reset rather than a rupture. That assumption would later prove incorrect.
In the weeks leading up to that conversation, subtle changes had already emerged. They were easy to dismiss, easier still to rationalize. Emma’s demeanor had shifted in ways that were difficult to define but impossible to ignore. Her smiles appeared less sustained, her warmth less consistent. Conversations that once lingered had become brief, functional exchanges.
::contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
