On the Plan

Matt was playing with his food when Chandra came back home, dropping her bag by the door and herself into the chair opposite him.  He pushed the salad to the side, turned down the video screen, and took her hands in his.

"How did it go?" he asked, soft and kind.

She just shook her head.  He sighed, and they sat in silence for a moment, the awful emptiness between them.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She sniffled, wiped tears from her cheek, and nodded.

"Still no luck," she said, her voice creaking. ...