Marko finally looked up, his eyes unfocused. "Did you say something?"
"," she thought to herself, repeating the phrase in her mind to build courage. She said. Rekla je
"It’s not sudden," she said softly, rising from the table. "I said it months ago in my head. I said it to myself in the mirror. I said it when you forgot our anniversary. Today, I just said it out loud." Marko finally looked up, his eyes unfocused
"Yes," Elena said aloud, her voice surprisingly steady. "I said I’m leaving." Marko froze. "What? Why? Everything is fine. We are fine." "We are not fine, Marko. We are empty." "But... why now? Why suddenly?" "It’s not sudden," she said softly, rising from the table
She left a twenty on the table, walked out of the loud café, and into the quiet, crisp air, finally breathing freely. Rekla je. A lighthearted romantic moment? A suspenseful revelation?
The café was too loud, but Elena sat perfectly still, holding her cappuccino like a shield. Across from her, Marko was scrolling through his phone, having not looked up in ten minutes. Their seven-year relationship had become a comfortable silence, filled with polite smiles and shared rent.
Elena looked at him, realizing she had been waiting for this moment for months. The air felt heavy, yet entirely clear.