I can't help but wonder

Cindy stared at her plate, her appetite suddenly gone. Alexander's question hung in the air, his voice gentle yet probing. She knew he could see the shift in her demeanor, the way her thoughts had drifted to a place she rarely let herself go.

"It's nothing," she said softly, though her voice betrayed her. The sadness was unmistakable, laced with memories she wished she could both cherish and forget. She felt Alexander's gaze on her, and when she finally looked up, his concern was etched in every line of his face.

"It's not nothing," Alexander said, reaching across the table to take her hand. His thumb brushed over her knuckles in a soothing gesture, but Cindy could barely feel the comfort through the heavy weight of her thoughts. "You can tell me."