The Space Between Us

Chapter 1: The Space Between Us

When Sara first met Daniel, she believed love was supposed to make life feel easier.

They met on a rainy Thursday afternoon in a small bookstore café. Sara had reached for the last copy of a novel at the same moment Daniel had. Their hands touched, they laughed, and Daniel insisted she take the book.

“You can tell me how it ends,” he said.

Three years later, Sara often wondered where that version of Daniel had gone.

Their apartment was quiet now—not peaceful quiet, but the kind that made every small sound feel important. The ticking clock in the hallway. The refrigerator turning on. The vibration of Daniel's phone against the table.

Sara sat on the edge of the sofa, watching him type.

“Who are you talking to?” she asked.

Daniel looked up. “Just work.”

“You've been working a lot lately.”

He sighed and placed his phone face down. “Sara, please don't start.”