When Edward greets his wife, Louise, at the airport with a playful sign, the last thing he expects is for her to turn pale and bolt. As Edward races to uncover why his joke struck such a nerve, he unravels a secret from Louise’s past that threatens to shatter the love they’ve built.
You know how some couples have their little quirks? Like, they have “their song” or a pet name that only makes sense to them?
Well, Louise and I had our airport signs.
It started years ago. I was waiting for her at the terminal with a sign that said, “WELCOME HOME, MY LOVE” because I’m cheesy like that. She saw it, laughed, and the next time she had to travel for work, she asked if I’d make another sign.
From then on, it became our thing.
Sometimes the signs were sweet, and other times they were completely ridiculous. Once, I held up one that said, “FREE HUGS FROM A DEVOTED HUSBAND,” and she nearly collapsed from laughing so hard.
But this time I thought I’d really outdo myself.
She’d been gone for a week, some conference in Chicago, and I was itching to see her again. So, I decided to spice things up with a sign that read, “I KNOW WHAT YOU DID.
COMING HOME WAS A BIG MISTAKE.”
I’d been watching a horror movie the night before and it seemed like a fun idea.
I figured she’d see it, roll her eyes, and give me that exasperated “Oh, Eddie” she does when I’ve gone too far.
So there I was, standing in the middle of the bustling terminal, holding up my masterpiece.
My eyes were glued to the gate, scanning every face until Louise stepped out, looking as beautiful as ever. She saw the sign and all the blood drained from her face.
Her gaze met mine, and the abject fear I saw in her shook me to the core.
Before I could react, she turned on her heel and bolted.
It took me a second to realize what had just happened.
By the time I dropped the sign and started after her, she was already halfway down the terminal.
“Louise!” I yelled, but she didn’t stop, didn’t even look back.
I tried to push through the crowd, but she was fast. And then security stepped in, holding me back, telling me I couldn’t go any further.
I was frantic, trying to explain that my wife had just run off, and I needed to catch her.
But they weren’t having any of it.
I pulled out my phone and called her, but she didn’t answer.
The story doesn’t end here –
it continues on the next page.
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