The morning after their first big fight was quiet, almost too quiet. The kind of silence that filled the house when things weren't quite settled. Remy sat at the kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a mug of coffee that had long since gone cold. She stared out of the window, her mind replaying the argument from the night before, the tension still lingering in the air between them.
Drea moved about the house quietly, avoiding eye contact with Remy as she tidied up Brielle's toys scattered across the living room. There was a stiffness in her movements, and it was clear that the fight wasn't completely behind them. Even though they had hugged and said they loved each other, the weight of unresolved feelings was still heavy.
Remy sighed, her mind racing as she thought about how to fix things. She hated how they had argued, how she had made Drea feel like she wasn't seen or heard. The last thing she wanted was for Drea to think that she wasn't committed to their marriage.
"Morning," Drea said quietly, walking into the kitchen, her voice calm but distant.
"Morning," Remy replied, her eyes meeting Drea's for a brief moment before looking away.
There was a pause, a moment of awkwardness as neither of them seemed to know what to say. Brielle's soft cooing sounds came from the baby monitor on the counter, breaking the silence between them.
"I'll get her," Drea said quickly, moving toward the nursery before Remy could respond.
Remy watched her go, feeling a knot tighten in her stomach. She stood up from the table and began pacing, running a hand over her short hair in frustration. She hated this tension between them, hated how the air felt thick with things unsaid. She needed to talk to Drea, really talk, and get everything out in the open.
A few minutes later, Drea reappeared in the kitchen with Brielle in her arms. She was dressed in her pink onesie, her tiny hand clutching the fabric of Drea's shirt as she snuggled close.
"Hey, sweet girl," Remy said softly, walking over to gently touch Brielle's cheek. She smiled when Brielle's eyes met hers, the little girl's face lighting up with a gummy grin.
Drea handed Brielle over without a word, walking back to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee. Remy watched her for a second, feeling the tension bubble up again.
"Drea, we need to talk," Remy said after a long pause, her voice gentle but firm.
Drea glanced over her shoulder, her hand hovering over the sugar jar. "About what?"
"You know what," Remy replied, shifting Brielle in her arms as she bounced her gently. "About last night. About us."
Drea sighed, turning around to face Remy, her eyes filled with the exhaustion of not just the night, but the weight of the past few days. She set her mug down on the counter and leaned against it, crossing her arms over her chest.
"What's there to say, Remy? We talked last night."
"No, we didn't really talk," Remy said, shaking her head. "We got upset, we said some things, but we didn't really get to the heart of it. I don't want this distance between us."
Drea looked down at her hands for a moment, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I don't want the distance either, but it's hard. I love you, but sometimes, I feel like I'm carrying more of the load when it comes to Brielle and the house. I don't want to feel like that. I didn't marry you to do it all alone."
Remy felt a pang of guilt in her chest, Drea's words sinking in deeper than before. "I get it. I do. I haven't been as present as I should've been, and I'm sorry. I've been so wrapped up in work and everything else that I didn't realize how much I've been putting on you. That's not fair."
