Married strangers

uiet corner of the city. He had chosen this spot intentionally-somewhere intimate, away from the prying eyes of

r grandmothers' long-standing friendship rather than any romance between them. But despite the circumstances, Aaron couldn't s

She was dressed in a simple yet elegant outfit, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. As she app

ing," Aaron said as

he edge of the table. "It's good to

here was an undercurrent of tension in the way she held herself. Aaron realized

d unassuming. Once the waiter left, an awkward silence fell between them. Aaron wasn't s

bout us, Aaron," she said quietly, her eyes fixed on the tabl

htly, his gaze intense. "A

't know each other, and we were thrown into a situation neither of us was fully prepared for. But now

bout that too," he admitted. "And I agree. We need to figure o

aron barely tasted it, his mind too preoccupied with the weight of their discussion. He watc

wn her fork and looked at him. "W

rust into this marriage, and I don't think either of us gave it the attention it deserved. But now, after seeing how you've handle

either," she confessed. "But I'm afraid, Aaron. We barely know each other, and

felt significant. "We can start by getting to know each other," he suggested. "We can ta

laying on her lips. "That sounds... reasonable," she sai

No more avoiding each other, no more keeping things strictly bus

s lightly squeezing his.

her. They talked about their experiences over the past year, sharing stories of their work, their struggles, and their small tr

not just capable and intelligent; she was also kind and thoughtful, with a resilience that he admired. The

ere was still uncertainty, but also a sense of possibility-a chance for the

hts casting a soft glow around them. Aaron glanced at Lily, n

g the comfortable silence. "I feel like we'

voice sincere. "I'm looking fo

e door for her, hesitating for a moment before speaking again. "Let's not wait to

ne warmth in her eyes

a sense of hope that he hadn't expected. The path ahead was uncertain, but

, but an important one. They had finally started to unravel the distance between them, and in doing

would not be easy, but for the first time, he was ready to face it. With Lily by his side, there was a chance-just a c