His impatience and irritation stung, but Celes’s calm demeanor only seemed to fuel his ire. He accused her of neglecting her duties at home, of prioritizing her work over their relationship. The accusations cut deep, and Celes struggled to keep her composure as she faced his anger.
Now, as she stood in their home, the weight of his accusations felt like a cruel echo of that past humiliation. The thought of how she had once tried to make their anniversaries and birthdays special, only to be dismissed as trivial, weighed heavily on her. She had meticulously planned dinners and decorations, her efforts a testament to her love for him, only to have her gestures belittled as unnecessary and uncomfortable. The memories of her attempts to celebrate their life together, only to be rebuked for them, were a painful reminder of the futility of her past efforts.
The argument ended with Andros grudgingly offering to take her out for dinner to celebrate their anniversary. The offer was half-hearted, a feeble attempt to patch over the cracks in their relationship. Celes accepted, clinging to a faint hope that the evening might provide some solace.