Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the storm brewing in Mark's chest. He'd stumbled upon the account by accident – a misplaced file on the shared computer. Years of careful saving, a sum that dwarfed their joint accounts. It wasn't the money itself, but the isolation of it that got to him.

He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture almost involuntary. He knew the pressure Maria had been under lately, the mounting bills, the worries she never fully voiced. He could hear her downstairs, humming to the radio as she made supper. He felt a pang in his chest that echoed her unspoken burdens.

He decided not to bring it up right away. He grabbed his coat and headed out to the store. He knew she had been eying a new pair of gardening gloves, and he would buy them for her. Maybe he would bake her a cake as well.