My only shot at love- Book 3 (From Second chance at love) [COMPLETE SERIES]

Chapter IV

Despite the growing tension between them, Marcus and Cali silently pledged to maintain a semblance of normalcy for the sake of their children, Luna and Lucian. Their home became a theater of orchestrated routines and carefully curated moments, all designed to shield their kids from the cracks in their marriage.

Family dinners became elaborate affairs, with Cali meticulously setting the table while Marcus, his mind elsewhere, carved out moments of forced laughter and animated storytelling. Outings to the park or museum followed a predictable pattern—Cali managing logistics with a smile that never quite reached her eyes, Marcus engaging Luna and Lucian with distracted enthusiasm.

Bedtime rituals were perhaps the most poignant. Each night, regardless of the day's tension, Marcus and Cali united in reading stories with theatrical voices and playful gestures, their love for Luna and Lucian momentarily eclipsing the cavernous gap that had formed between them.

To Luna and Lucian, their parents embodied a facade of harmony. They witnessed shared meals, heard laughter echoing through the halls, and fell asleep to whispered assurances of love and security. Yet beneath this veneer, the house harbored a heavy silence once the children were tucked in and the night enveloped them in solitude.

In the quiet of their bedroom, Marcus and Cali lay side by side, their bodies betraying the distance their hearts struggled to bridge. The air hung heavy with unspoken words—cries for attention, apologies ungiven, questions unanswered. Marcus often found himself staring at the ceiling, grappling with guilt and uncertainty, while Cali, her back turned, buried herself deeper under the weight of their unresolved issues.

Their conversations, when they dared to speak beyond the superficial, tiptoed around the elephant in the room. Practicalities usurped intimacy—the children's schedules, grocery lists, maintenance tasks—all serving as shields against the uncomfortable truths simmering beneath the surface.

Occasionally, amidst the daily charade, a fleeting touch would betray their longing for connection. A hand brushed against a shoulder in passing, a gaze held a moment longer than necessary across the dinner table—glimmers of a love still flickering amidst the darkness threatening to engulf them.

One evening, after putting Luna and Lucian to bed, Marcus and Cali found themselves sitting on the porch, a rare moment of quiet settling between them. The laughter of their children, playing in the fading light, underscored the fragile peace they sought to preserve.

Cali broke the silence, her voice soft yet burdened with unspoken fears.

"I wonder if they know," she began, her words barely a whisper in the twilight.

Marcus turned to her, his expression a mix of sorrow and longing, searching for the right words amidst the tangled emotions that bound them.

"Know what?" he replied, his voice barely audible over the distant hum of evening insects.

Cali hesitated, then continued, her tone laden with the weight of their shared struggle.

"That things aren't... quite right between us," she finally confessed, her gaze fixed on the flickering porch light.

Marcus took a moment to respond, choosing his words with care.

"I don't know, Cali. I hope not," he admitted quietly, his eyes tracing the outline of her silhouette against the dimming sky.

A heavy silence settled between them once more, punctuated only by the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze. They shared a moment of understanding—a silent acknowledgment of the delicate balance they maintained for the sake of their children, and the deep longing for connection they both yearned to reclaim.