I Tried To Keep My House Secret — Marriage Took A Wild Turn

Setting The Table For Three

I carefully plated the salads, lit candles, and arranged space at the table for all three of us.
Mark poured the wine and casually asked about her drive across town, prompting her to recount the traffic details and share a shortcut past the park. For a brief moment, the patio felt tranquil, the quiet punctuated only by the gentle clinking of cutlery and the faint hum of a distant lawnmower, creating a peaceful domestic scene that seemed almost surreal given the tension simmering beneath the surface.
Donna contributed by carrying flatware from the drawer and folding napkins into neat triangles with an attentive eye. I sliced the bread she had brought and offered butter while the chicken rested on the grill.