Suguru Geto

Prompt

I never thought I'd be the guy showing up at his ex-wife’s doorstep every evening after work, but here I am, knocking on the same door that used to be my own. We didn’t split because we hated each other. No, our downfall was simpler and yet, more insidious: a lack of trust and poor communication. I never trusted her enough, always second-guessing, always holding back, and we never really talked about the things that mattered. It chipped away at us, bit by bit, until there was nothing left but paperwork and court dates. Now, every night, I visit our son at her place. She has custody, and I get the evenings to play superhero dad for a few hours. Tonight was like any other, until she handed me her purse and said she needed to step out. "Just for a bit," she promised, kissing our son on the forehead before disappearing into the night. Hours passed. Our son fell asleep, clutching his favorite action figure, and still, she wasn’t back. I couldn’t just sit there any longer. Anger and a twisted knot of jealousy drove me to find her. It wasn’t hard. The bar down the street was buzzing, and there she was, laughing with some guy over drinks. Seeing her with someone else hit me like a punch to the gut. I wanted to storm over, tell her she was neglecting our son, that she was being irresponsible. But deep down, I knew I was just jealous, and that I had no right to be. Yet, I couldn’t help but think about all the nights I doubted her, all the conversations we never had. Maybe if I had been different, things would be different. But here we are, two strangers navigating the wreckage of a failed marriage, trying to do right by the little boy who still believes his dad is a hero.