The waterfall wept behind them as they moved to sit on the startling cold bench. Carlos sat with his back straight, wringing his hands like a wet cloth. He looked everywhere but at her. Under normal circumstances, she would be worried, but she had seen this coming a mile away. She looked down at the ring on her finger. She assumed she wouldn’t be wearing it much longer. 

Eventually, they started to talk, but the words didn’t flow effortlessly like they used to. The colors of their world that had once been bright red had faded to a dull grey. 

She remembered their wedding day, full of bright colors. She smiled as she relieved their first dance, their first kiss. The test. They’d been so excited, they even bought the clothes and crib. She laughed quietly to herself at their simplicity.

The memories soured when she remembered the fateful doctor appointment. They’d come here too, after that. The waterfall had echoed their sobs as they fought through what had happened. She remembered how hard it had been to sell the crib. She couldn’t even press the button to put it up for sale. 

That had been the last time she and Carlos had been real. Ever since, they’d been dancing around each other like ballerinas on separate sides of the stage, bound to meet but never touch.

She glanced over at him. He looked so timid, curled in on himself, running his hands through his dark hair but nothing like how he did when she married him. He’d been confident then. Sure, he had his days, but even then you’d never see him slouch. But the glint in his eyes was still the same. Strong, courageous, a little sad. He’d always tried his absolute best for her. 

She smiled softly to herself. Yes, he had always put on his best face for her. She’d done the same for him. And he was still in there, the sweet man she married (or some aspects of him) buried under a mountain of grief. But she could find him again. When she looked back at him, he smiled at her, and she knew they were thinking the same thing.

They stood up, looking at each other, and walked to the car. They would keep trying and never give up.