Vanessa watched the movie, her gentle expression fading as she became lost in thought.


    She nced at the drink Henry had ced beside him. He hadn''t touched it since she''d taken a sip. Was he disgusted that she had used his straw?


    Suddenly remembering something, Henry pulled out his phone, found Selma''s number on WhatsApp, and typed, "Did the reporte back? How is everything?" A reply came almost instantly. "It came back clear. I''m fine. Thanks for asking." The polite, formal tone left him with an inexplicable feeling of disappointment.


    When the movie finally ended, other audience members were buzzing about how great it was, but Henry felt like he hadn''t seen it at all. "Come on," he said to Vanessa. "I''ll take you home."


    Vanessa stood up, her eyes falling on the untouched drink beside Henry''s seat. Her heart sank.


    As they left the theater, she was unusually quiet, lost in her thoughts. Normally, Henry would have noticed immediately and asked what was wrong. But tonight, he was preupied, busy texting someone on his phone.


    Selma was trying to send him money for the hospital bill, and Henry was trying to refuse it. Despite his protests, she transferred him ten thousand. He sighed and declined the transfer, insisting it wasn''t necessary.


    When he finally looked up, the elevator had arrived. "Vanessa, after you."


    She stepped inside. As they reached the ground floor, she asked, "Where to next?"


    "I''ll take you home, then I have to get back to the office," he said.


    Vanessa bit her lip. "But I don''t want to go home yet."


    "Should I take you to your studio, then?"


    She shot him a petnt look. "I took the day off. Why would I go to my studio? Besides, it''s almost five-thirty."


    Henry checked the time and chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, right. I forgot what time it was."


    Vanessa knew he hadn''t forgotten. His mind was simply elsewhere. Who was he texting? It had to be Seling Quigley. She looked innocents enough, but she was clearly more catcting than she let on


    "Should I calln and see if he wants to get dinner with us?" Henry suggested suddenly.


    Vanessa''s expression soured instantly. She turned her head away. "No."


    Henry rubbed his nose, confused as


    to how he had upset her. "Okay," he


    said trying to gate her


    "How


    just the two of us get


    thing to eat?"


    fo


    She continued to look away, but her eyes began to redden as if she were about to


    cry.


    "What''s wrong? Did I say something?" Henry asked, immediately ming himself.


    "Ian''s beenpletely absorbed


    with the fabtely, spending all day with Eleanor He has no time for


    me, she said, her voiceced with bitterness and resentment


    Henry was stunned. Ian and Eleanor were together day and night?


    "Vanessa, they''re divorced. They''re only together for work. You shouldn''t overthink it," he said, trying tofort her.


    She looked at him, surprised. He had always tried to console her before, but his words today felt different somehow.


    "If you loven, you need to be more understanding. Once he gets through this busy period, he''ll have time for you."


    Vanessa bit her lip and tightened her grip on her purse, saying nothing.


    "Besides," Henry continued, "you''ve waited ten years for him. He won''t make you wait much longer."


    When he finished, he saw that Vanessa''s expression had grown even colder.