Franz woke up and reached for his phone before he opened his eyes.
Today was the day. Arianne was supposed to come back.
The bed was cold on the left side. It had been cold for over a week. The pillow still smelled faintly of her shampoo, but the scent was fading. He had stopped pressing his face into it at night. That had made it worse.
He unlocked his phone. A text from Arianne. Sent late last night.
Massive delay on my end. Weather, logistics, everything. Won't make it today. Looking at 3-5 more days. I'm sorry.
Franz stared at the screen. Read it twice. Three times.
He typed back: Don't apologize. Just get home safe.
Then he set the phone down and lay there. The ceiling was white. The room was quiet. The empty space beside him felt bigger than it had yesterday.
