Our Love Has Expired

After a quick scan, I logged into Lucas' cloud account to dig up dirt on his affair.

Over the years, he'd lavished Maggie with an obscene amount of high-end jewelry.

They'd ticked off nearly every picturesque destination on their bucket list.

Maggie scoffed at me, labeling me a has-been at thirty—overweight, materialistic, and downright tacky compared to her.

Lucas didn't utter a word in my defense.

Sure, I weigh 130 pounds, but that's hardly fat.

I just can't measure up to Maggie's waifish 100 pounds.

Truth be told, I was even leaner than Maggie at her age.

Not out of vanity, but simply because I couldn't afford enough food.

Those were the days when Lucas and I were scraping by.

The more I read, the more the words before me began to blur.

Memories flooded back.

I remembered losing my parents at 19, and Lucas vowing to be the family I needed.

I recalled not having money for college, and how Lucas, always so proud, did whatever it took to get me through.

He pinched every penny to pay for my education.

We even lived in a basement, enduring stifling nights that made sleep impossible.

We'd escape to sleep next to the roadside flowerbeds.

He'd fan me all night, swatting away the bugs.

Resting my head on his lap, I could see nothing but stars above.

It was then that I fell in love with the stars.

I can still picture him, sunburnt and stubborn, refusing hospital visits after collapsing on the job.

He'd press his sweat-soaked bills into my hand, his eyes twinkling like stars.

"Pursue law, chase your dreams. I'm always here to support you," he'd say.

I did graduate, penned numerous briefs, and won many cases.

We relied on each other and life gradually improved.

I never imagined that, as a lawyer, the first divorce agreement I'd write would be ours.

I was mid-draft when Lucas walked in.

"Sarah, you missed dinner. Why not have some wontons? They'll hit the spot."

I gazed upon the hot pancake, and his words echoed as I thought about Maggie's latest brag online.

[He planned a horseback riding day on the plains because I mentioned it once. He listens to me, not like the others.]

So, the plains trip wasn't for stargazing with me.

And those midnight snacks? They weren't acts of love but guilty crumbs of compensation.

I inhaled deeply, trying to steady my nerves.

Lucas' gaze fixed on the open document on the screen.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Divorce papers? What's this about?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just helping a friend. Her husband cheated."

Lucas laughed, spooning up a piece of pancake and holding it to my lips.

"Good men like me are hard to find. You've got a keeper here. Make sure you know it."

His attempt at sincerity only intensified my nausea.

I turned away, my tone cold, "I'm not hungry."

Still clueless, Lucas gently cupped my face and kissed my forehead.

"Well, make sure you get some rest and don't overdo it, babe."

Once Lucas left, I stared out at the sparse stars, feeling an unusual sense of peace.

At 19, Sarah would have raged and demanded answers.

But at 30, Sarah, cynical and calculating, was thinking about a dignified exit and securing her future.