Chapter 6
Cadi walked through the hospital corridors, exhaustion settling deep in her bones.
The past month had been relentless—between managing her clinical commitments and pushing for a role on the diversity team, she barely had time to breathe.
As a consultant in the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, she was already juggling a heavy workload, and the influx of GP referrals had only made things harder.
And then there was Gray.
He had been distant, preoccupied, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Even Tomos had noticed, his little face scrunching up in confusion whenever Gray half-heartedly answered his questions at dinner.
Lately, Gray had stopped reading Tomos bedtime stories, offering excuses about having to take on more night shifts due to staff illnesses.
At first, Cadi believed him.
But now, with his growing distance and the weight of her own exhaustion, doubts crept in.
It wasn't just Tomos who was feeling the absence.
Gray had stopped reaching for her at night.
Their once effortless intimacy had faded into something distant, unfamiliar.
Too tired, he would say.
Too much on his plate.
She had accepted it at first, but the quiet void in their bed had started gnawing at her.
He no longer curled his body around hers in sleep, no longer reached for her hand absentmindedly when they lay side by side in silence.
It was as if he had started sleeping on the edge of the bed, as far from her as he could get.
That morning, before leaving for work, she had leaned in to kiss him goodbye—just a small, simple kiss.
But instead of meeting her lips, he turned his head at the last second, her kiss landing awkwardly on his cheek.
The moment was brief, but it left a hollow ache inside her.
Had it been intentional?
She had dismissed it at the time, but now, with everything piling up, it clawed at her, nagging and relentless.
She used to love the way he held her.
She could still remember when they had first married, living in their cramped flat, barely making ends meet.
The night he had been offered a consultant's role at the hospital, she had been sitting on the couch, exhausted from her rotation, when he had come home grinning like a fool.
"Ya married a consultant, Cads," he had declared before swooping her up effortlessly, tossing her in the air like she weighed nothing.
She had shrieked, laughing as she clung to him. "Put me down, you lunatic!"
"Not a chance, woman," he had teased, kissing her soundly before nipping at her lower lip. "I've earned celebratory privileges."
"Oh, have you?" she had challenged, arching a brow.
His grin turned wicked. "Aye, and I plan to collect."
They never made it to dinner that night.
That was the Gray she had married—the Gray who made her feel adored, desired. But now... she barely recognized the man who shared her bed.
She had been vying for a position on the diversity team, hoping to improve communication issues for refugee patients. The interviews had gone well, and she had been optimistic. Until today.