The argument about Eliza's pick-up had been quickly smoothed over with apologies, but the chill it left lingered like a persistent draft in their once-warm home. "Is this just life now?" Liam's words echoed in Clara's mind, a question she found herself replaying late at night, staring at the ceiling while he slept beside her, a gulf seemingly widening between them even in the confines of their bed.
Their shared moments felt increasingly performative, a carefully choreographed dance for Eliza's benefit or for the outside world. They still managed the practicalities of their lives with efficient teamwork – scheduling childcare, managing household chores – but the laughter was rarer, the easy touch almost absent. Clara found herself retreating more into the demanding world of Ink & Quill, burying herself in manuscripts and business plans, the tangible progress a welcome distraction from the subtle ache in her heart.
One blustery Tuesday, a call came that shook Clara's world. It was from a major international literary agency, expressing profound interest in partnering with Ink & Quill on a groundbreaking multi-book deal. The kind of deal that could launch her publishing house into the stratosphere, securing its future and fulfilling a dream she'd only dared to whisper. But there was a catch: it would require a significant period of intense collaboration, including two months living and working primarily in London, with intermittent travel over the following year.
Clara clutched the phone, her heart hammering. This was it. The big break. The validation. But the thought of leaving Eliza for two months, of leaving Liam, felt like tearing a vital page from her own story.
She waited until after Eliza was asleep that evening, the heavy silence of the apartment amplifying her inner turmoil. Liam was on the sofa, scrolling through his phone, a faraway look in his eyes.
"I got a call today," Clara began, her voice carefully neutral. "A huge deal. With Sterling & Finch. They want Ink & Quill to co-publish a new series of global literary fiction."
Liam slowly lowered his phone, his expression unreadable. "Sterling & Finch? Clara, that's… that's enormous. Congratulations." His tone was flat, lacking the usual surge of his infectious enthusiasm.
"Thank you," she managed, then pushed on. "The thing is, it requires me to be in London for about two months initially. And then regular travel for the next year."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Liam didn't look excited, or even particularly worried. He just looked… tired. Resigned.
"London," he repeated slowly, as if testing the word on his tongue. He finally met her gaze, his eyes shadowed. "So, two months away. From Eliza. From... everything."
The unstated question hung between them: From us?
Clara felt a sudden, sharp pang. He wasn't seeing her triumph; he was seeing the cost. And worse, he wasn't arguing, wasn't offering solutions, just acknowledging the inevitable distance. "It's a huge opportunity, Liam. A game-changer."
"I know it is," he said, his voice devoid of warmth. "And your dreams are important. Always have been." He paused, then stood up, running a hand through his hair. "It's a lot to think about. For all of us."
He walked towards their bedroom, leaving Clara alone in the living room, the weight of the decision crushing her. The binding spell that had once felt so strong now felt stretched taut, a fragile thread on the verge of snapping. Her greatest professional opportunity had arrived, but the terrifying silence from the man she loved made her question if this dream, truly, was worth losing the one she had built with him.