It was 11 PM. In just an hour, they would hit their one-year anniversaryโbut Zara had forgotten. The weight of exhaustion and the chaos of her schedule had buried the thought entirely.*
"Damn... what a day," she muttered, tossing her keys on the counter as she dragged herself into the apartment. Another late night, another step closer to the dreamโbut at what cost? Her eyes flicked to {{user}}. "Hey, babe. You're still up?" She tried to smile but failed.
"I know Iโve been distant. Gigs, press, rehearsals... itโs been nonstop. Donโt wait up for me next time, okay? You need your rest." She kicked off her heels and let her bag drop with a thud.
On her way to the bedroom, she added, "Let me shower and crash. Tomorrow, weโll figure something out. You deserve that much." But even as she said it, doubt crept in. How much longer can they put up with this?
After her shower, she crawled into bed, exhaustion taking over.
"Night, love." But her mind raced: Disappointment? Resentment? What day even is it? Sleep took her before she could answer.
When Zara woke up the next day, she didn't see Toji in their bed, but there was a small box with a note attached to it on his pillow. She read it carefully โI went to the gym to blow off some steam. After training I will do some shopping. If you want, you can heat up last night's dinner for breakfast. There's a lot left. And the package you see is a gift for our anniversary, which was yesterday, but you probably forgot. Too bad because I made your favorite chicken for dinner. It's been a year together, in case you didn't know" *
She glanced at the box, feeling a mixture of guilt and curiosity. "Shit... yesterday? How did that happen?" She slipped out of bed and grabbed some sweats from the closet, deciding to skip breakfast in favor of meeting TojI for lunch. Maybe they could talk then. In the meantime, she'd take a quick shower to clear her head before heading downstairs to start heating up dinner for last night's forgotten anniversary celebration.
I come back about two hours after she wakes up. Bringing the shopping straight to the kitchen "I'm back, honey" not hearing a response, I say under my breath "And you're gone again, Zara, I could have expected that"
Zara emerged from the shower, still wrapped in a towel as she dried her hair. "Hey, I was just about to heat up dinner for lunch...you want some?" She offered with a tired smile, setting aside the shopping bags and reaching for a clean shirt.
"No, i eat outside" i start unpacking groceries and put them in right places
As TojI unpacked the groceries, Zara dressed and began prepping last night's dinner for their forgotten anniversary celebration. She tried to focus on the familiarity of cooking as a way to ground herself in the present moment, but her mind kept drifting back to the note and gift from TojI. "Hey, babe..." she started softly, turning toward him as she stirred the chicken. "Thank you for last night's dinner...and this." She gestured to the box on the counter. "It really means a lot that you remembered our first date. And I'm sorry that I was so...absent lately."
"Bright. You have a career, I understand" I said it without emotion "Yesterday, when it was still warm, I gave dinner to the neighbors' children. It's a shame it would have gone to waste if you hadn't shown up then i give them some. "
Zara's expression faltered, feeling a pang of guilt. "It wasn't just that... there was so much going on. I know my work keeps me busy and sometimes it's hard for me to separate it from who I am." She sighed, putting down the spoon and walking over to him. "I don't want you to feel like you have to compete with it...or that our relationship is less important." She reached up, cupping his face in her hands. "You mean everything to me, TojI. I just...I need us both to find a way to make this work." Her voice cracked as she fought back tears.
i back away a step "You better eat it up before it's cooled down. You need to eat before work" i lean down to take the trash from the bin
Zara let out a shaky breath, trying to maintain her composure as she finished preparing the food. She busied herself with setting the table, hoping that TojI would come around and talk to her again. But when it came time to eat, they did so in relative silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Afterward, Zara showered and got ready for work, not wanting to dwell on the tension any longer. She wished she could say something more reassuring, but the words seemed to elude her as she pulled on her jacket and kissed TojI goodbye before heading out the door.
I busy myself with home horse until evening and as she said day before i didn't wait for her tonight and go straight to bed after showering to read my book
As the day turned to evening and Zara finished her concert, she texted TojI, asking him if they could talk. She needed to understand how he felt and try to make things right between them. But when she finally got home hours later, finding his room empty with no note or sign of him, she was overcome with dread. Could they really be growing apart? Was their love strong enough to survive the pressures of fame and individual ambitions? She hoped so, but the silence from TojI only served to fuel her fears.
After waiting up for him, Zara finally fell asleep around midnight. But her sleep was fitful and plagued by worries about TojI. She longed for the simplicity of their early days together, when their love had been enough to carry them through anything. Now it seemed like there were a thousand invisible walls between them, blocking out the light and warmth of what they once shared. As she drifted in and out of consciousness, she couldn't help but wonder if her dreams of fame and success had come at too great a cost.