"Julian."
I swallowed the ache in my throat. My voice stayed level.
"Let's meet."
I gave him the address.
"The old house up north. I'll see you there."
Silence on the other end. He was clearly caught off guard.
A few seconds passed.
"Okay."
"Babe, I'm heading over right now." His voice brightened, relief and excitement bleeding through. "I'll grab those soup dumplings you love from that place and bring them along!"
Before I could refuse, he'd already hung up.
I turned and met Natalie's worried gaze.
"I'm fine."
I forced a smile.
"Don't worry."
It had been almost five years since Julian and I moved out of that house. I stood in front of the weathered, peeling door and remembered how, when we'd first moved here from that basement apartment, we'd decorated the place together, pouring our hearts into every detail.
Julian had said back then, "Babe, this is our first real home. It means something."
"When we're old, if you want, we'll come back here and retire."
"Every year, we'll come back and stay for a few days. How does that sound?"
Back then, I'd been so full of joy. I'd felt like my life was worth something.
Now, just a few years later, everything had changed.
I pushed open the door.