A stray grain of rice clung to my finger as I absently scrolled through my phone when Emily enthusiastically dropped the pin for a trendy hotel into our group chat. That familiar location pierced my vision like a needle—identical to the coordinates Mark had mysteriously shared last month during his "overtime."
His text, still fresh above the pin, blinked at me: "With clients. Home late. Don't wait up." The pale glare of the fridge light reflected starkly off his favorite German dark beer. Clutching my phone, a sudden chill settled over me; our seven-year marriage felt like an industrial freezer.
Emily's Share
My phone buzzed for the third time. I swiped on the greasy screen with a fingertip still smeared with broccoli and rice from my daughter's abandoned lunch. Emily's "Globetrotting Gourmands" group chat was exploding.
She'd sent a location link punctuated by screaming emojis: "Girls! This new rooftop bar is INSANE! Killer sunset! Epic cocktails! Friday—BE THERE!" As my finger slid over the little blue pin, an unnerving sense of déjà vu crawled down my spine. My heart inexplicably sank. I knew this place... Not casually. It was a deeper, more grating familiarity. I hesitated, my finger hovering over the glowing screen, suspended between the unfamiliar hotel name and its hauntingly recognizable spot.
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