361: Echoes of Forgotten Days

As Alex picked up the wedding ring, his fingers traced its cool, metallic surface, a tangible reminder of promises made and broken. He attempted to slide the ring onto his finger, but it stubbornly refused to fit beyond the second joint—a stark metaphor for their misaligned lives. Resigned, he stored the ring in his safe, a relic of a union that had never truly felt right. In that moment of quiet reflection, Alex’s gaze fell upon an old photo album buried under layers of forgotten memorabilia in his safe. Curiosity piqued, he pulled it out, dusting off years of neglect. Flipping through the pages, he found himself transported back to his childhood—a simpler time, yet one that harbored the seeds of his future complexities. One photo in particular caught his attention: a young Alex in an amusement park, innocently clutching cotton candy. Behind him, a little girl in a princess dress stood by a crying boy. The girl was unmistakably Emma, a childhood friend turned lover, then strang