The autumn leaves had begun to turn gold and crimson, painting the city streets in shades of warmth that seemed almost cruel in their beauty. It was six months to the day since Marcus and Emma had signed the marriage contract in Mr. Thomas's office. Six months since they had made a bargain born out of desperation and circumstance. Six months that had transformed everything.
Emma sat in their living room, surrounded by photographs and mementos from the past half-year. She was organizing her novel, preparing to submit it to potential publishers. Her fingers traced the edge of a photo from their first dinner together, the one where they were still pretending, still maintaining the careful distance of people who didn't yet understand what they were becoming to each other.
