There it was. The word landed not with a sharp sting, but with a dull, sickening thud. Brother.
I'd heard it before, of course—a dozen times, maybe more. But tonight, after the exhaustion, after the sheer déjà vu of it all, it felt different. It wasn't just a word; it was a life sentence. It was her neatly, finally, nailing me into a box I would never be allowed to leave.
I just smiled, a tight, thin line. "Anytime, Chloe."
As I walked out into the cool night air, the camera in my mind finally panned back. I saw the last 5 years not as a slow-burn romance, but as a montage of servitude. Me, driving across town at 2:00 a.m. to fix her flat tire. Me, listening for hours as she cried over men who didn't deserve her tears. Me, remembering her birthday, her mother's allergy medication, the name of her first pet, while she routinely forgot if I took my coffee black or with sugar.
I was the foundation of her life, all right—the part that was buried underground, unseen, expected to bear the weight without ever cracking.
The group dinner a week later was supposed to be a celebration. I'd landed the Jacobs account, a promotion that came with a significant pay bump and a corner office. For the first time, I felt like I had something of my own to share.
"And so, after the Q4 presentation, Henderson himself called me into his office," I was saying, a genuine smile on my face. Our friends, Matt and Jen, were leaning in, listening. Chloe was scrolling through her phone.
"That's huge, man," Matt said, clapping me on the shoulder. "You've been grinding for that."
"I know, it finally feels like—"
"Oh my god. You guys, look at this one," Chloe interrupted, thrusting her phone across the table.
The screen showed a brooding guy in a beanie holding a guitar. "His name is Jake. He's a musician. His bio says he's looking for a muse. Can you even?"
Jen gave a noncommittal smile. "Interesting, right?"
Chloe beamed, completely oblivious to the conversation she'd just derailed. "It's so refreshing, not like the boring corporate types." She patted my arm affectionately.