The Belated Light Is My Sole Redemption

The day Brooke was laid off, she hyperventilated at her desk. I packed her things and brought her home. Preston, my boyfriend, helped without hesitation, polishing her resume and running mock interviews. I urged them to use the building’s high-end gym while I worked weekends, touched by his support. I even posted online, calling him the world’s best boyfriend.

Year-end, the gym app pinged with an annual report. I tapped it idly. Under linked accounts, Preston’s class history appeared. Thirty-two private sessions. Ten marked Couples Acro-Yoga. Six marked Couples Kickboxing.