Chapter 33
Val sat on the edge of the sofa, a profound helplessness washing over him. He wasn't accustomed to being moved by tears, but the sight of Hazel's quiet sobs was a raw, puzzling ache in his chest.
A fierce, protective instinct he hadn't known he possessed coiled in his gut, and his heart—a thing he believed was long dormant—thumped a wild, erratic rhythm. It was a terrifying, exhilarating pulse that seemed to have a will of its own. He had no idea what to do, what to say, or how to bridge the chasm of her pain.
In a moment of panicked desperation, he pulled out his phone. The screen's glow was a jarring contrast to the soft light of the room. He typed, "How to stop your wife from crying," and a wave of absurd suggestions flooded the results. He scrolled through a few, his jaw tight, before switching the screen off. He felt idiotic, asking the internet for guidance on a human emotion he was just beginning to grasp.
