At 7:15, Claire was looking directly at her husband Andrew across a crowded restaurant, watching him with a woman who laughed easily and rested her hand against his face the way people do when they are very comfortable with each other. There was no hesitation between them. No tension. Just the kind of ease that only comes with time and repetition.
Andrew was wearing the navy shirt she had given him the previous Christmas.
Ezoic
Claire pushed her chair back so abruptly it scraped loudly across the floor. She stood with the gift bag still in her hand.
Before she could take two steps forward, a man appeared beside her.
Ezoic
The Stranger Who Asked Her to Wait
He spoke quietly and asked her not to move yet.
She turned, her composure already fraying, and told him she had no idea who he was or why he was speaking to her.
Ezoic
