“You’re upset,” Adrian murmured.

“I’m not upset, Addy,” I lied. My hands were shaking in my lap as I looked out of the window of the caravan. The rain was torrential. On this day, a day that, in theory, should have been like no other, the clouds had opened up and my heart was caving in.

I could feel Adrian staring at me. I could feel the cogs in his head striving to work out a way to help me, like he did the kids in the neighbourhood that he tutored on the weekends and most Monday evenings. Feeling sorry like he did for the dog when she licked open yet another wound, or the fly-bothered orphans on the ads that sandwiched his after-dinner quiz shows during the week.

I heard the creak of floorboards as Adrian inched closer to me. He took his place on my right. Plumped the cushion that acted as a wall between us and lay it right back where it was.

“I can rebook the balloon ride for another day, Maria-”

“I don’t care about the balloon ride, Adrian.”

He cleared his throat. “You don’t?” I could tell he was nervous now. He was losing his footing. “I don’t-  Don’t you wanna tell me what’s going on, Maria?”

I shook my head. Directed my shaking fingers to the task of nervously twisting my wedding ring. I could see his reflection in the drizzling window, acting as a screen that presented to us a future I could not bear. His brow was furrowed. His lips bore signs of worry as he tried to understand the cause of my meltdown; if it wasn’t for the fact that his anniversary present to me, the both of us, was rendered impossible due to the weather, then what could it have been?

If not what, then who.