A Test of Love

The hum of the city, usually a comforting backdrop to their shared lives, felt amplified tonight, a low thrumming that seemed to mirror the anxious beat in Krystal’s chest. Aj had been quiet for days. Not the comfortable silence of shared understanding, but a brittle, strained quiet that felt like a dam holding back a flood. He’d been distant, his eyes holding a flicker of something she couldn’t quite decipher, something that set her teeth on edge. It began subtly, a missed text, a brief, preoccupied answer to her questions, a tendency to retreat into his own head when she tried to engage him.

“Everything okay?” she’d asked, her voice softer than she intended, as they sat across from each other at their favorite dimly lit Italian place. The candlelight flickered, casting dancing shadows that seemed to mimic the unease settling between them.

Aj had offered a tight smile, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, just… work stuff. Big project. Lot of pressure.” He’d pushed his pasta around his plate, the clink of his fork against the ceramic a jarring sound in the otherwise hushed restaurant.