Not long after, Ella's phone began vibrating again, and she immediately grabbed it. But it wasn't Charles—it was Leah.
Ella answered, “Hello?”
“Don't tell me you're still waiting.”
Ella chuckled. “Why?”
“Because I'm waiting for Noah too.”
Ella leaned back in her chair. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“We married a pair of brothers, but we can never have dinner with them.”
“At least they're consistent.”
Ella let out a soft laugh.
The doorbell rang.
“I'll get it, Leah.”
“Maybe it's Charles.”
“Let's hope so.”
Ella hurried to the door. But when it opened, Leah was standing there with a large gift box and two cups of coffee.
“Disappointed?”
Ella looked at her. “A little.”
Leah lifted the gift box. “I brought compensation.”
Ella laughed. “Come in.”
Leah stepped inside. The moment she saw the dining table, her expression changed. “Seriously? He hasn't come home at all?”
Ella shook her head. “Not yet.”
“What time did he say he'd be home?”
“Around seven.”
Leah glanced at the clock. “It's after eight.”
“I know.”
“Have you called him?”
“Three times.”
“Did he answer?”
Ella shook her head.
Leah sighed. “If Noah does this every year, I'll send him divorce papers as an anniversary gift next year.”
Ella laughed. “Then I should do the same.”
“Agreed.”
Leah placed the gift on the table. “This is for you.”
Ella opened the box, revealing a small handbag that made her beautiful eyes sparkle. “Leah...”
“Don't cry. I'm not rich yet.”
Ella immediately hugged her. “Thank you.”
“That's enough. Let go. I still want to live.”
Ella laughed as she released her, and they sat side by side. For a few minutes, the atmosphere felt lighter.
They talked about work, the neighbors who never greeted one another even when they crossed paths, and the new restaurant they wanted to try. Then, as usual, their conversation ended with two names.
“Do you think Noah will come home?” Ella asked.
Leah shrugged. “Unless there's an emergency patient.”
“Charles is the same way.”
Leah looked at her. “Charles is a firefighter. Noah's a doctor. They have important jobs.”
Ella nodded. “I know.”
“But?”
Ella stared at the candle. “Sometimes I want to be something more important than his job.”
Leah fell silent, while Ella gave a small smile. “Ah, never mind. I shouldn't let my imagination run wild.”
Ella picked up the glass of wine beside her and invited Leah to make a toast. “To three years.”
Leah raised her glass too. “To three years.”
Their glasses clinked. Clink! Ella's gaze fixed on the three candles atop the cake.
“Funny.”
“What?”
“Three candles.”
Leah frowned. “Why?”
“It feels like there's one for every year I've learned to be patient.”
Leah laughed. “In that case, we'll need four candles next year.”
Ella laughed even harder. But her laughter stopped when her phone vibrated. An incoming call from Charles appeared on the screen.
Ella stared at his name, her heart pounding. Her hand even trembled slightly as she answered the phone. “Charles?”
Her husband's voice sounded rushed. “Ella, listen to me.”
“I'm listening.”
“I can't come home tonight.”
Ella closed her eyes. “Why?”
There was a brief silence. Then Charles said something far more painful than simply saying he wasn't coming home. “Madison needs me.”
Ella opened her eyes, her gaze falling on the cake. The three candles were still burning, but one of them suddenly went out. Leah watched Ella, who neither cried nor grew angry.
Ella only asked in a very quiet voice, “Then, Charles... who will need me?”
On the other end of the phone, Charles was silent. And for the first time that night, Ella realized something she had never wanted to admit.
Maybe, for these past three years, she had been the only one who believed they were truly living as a married couple.