But they had this edge to them that stuck under my skin like tiny splinters.
If I came downstairs in the morning without makeup on, he’d look up from his coffee and grin. “Wow, rough night, huh? You look exhausted.”
When I found my first gray hair while getting ready one morning, I showed it to him, half laughing about it.
He laughed too, but then he said, “Guess I’m married to Grandma now. Should I start calling you Nana?”
At first, I told myself it was just Derek being Derek. But as the months went by, I started to notice something had shifted.
The teasing became the only thing he said about my appearance. There were no more compliments or moments where he told me I looked beautiful.
One Saturday morning, I walked into the living room to find him scrolling through Instagram on his phone. When I glanced over his shoulder, I saw a young fitness influencer on his screen.
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