They lay side by side on the narrow bed, breaths still ragged. Morning sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, illuminating dust particles floating in the air. For a few moments, only the sound of their gradually normalizing breaths could be heard.
David broke the silence first. His voice was hoarse, almost like a whisper. "Just now... were you thinking of him?"
Elara froze. The question hung in the air like a sword. She could lie, but after everything that had happened, lying felt like an even greater betrayal.
"No," she finally answered, and it was the truth. "I... was completely present. With you."
David turned, propping his head on his hand. His eyes gazed intensely at Elara. "All this time, what did you feel when we made love? Were you always... pretending?"
Elara took a deep breath. This question was more painful than the first. "Never pretending, David. But..." She paused, searching for the right words. "Sometimes I felt like I was playing a role. The perfect wife for the perfect husband."
"And what do you want?" David asked softly. "I want to know the real Elara. Not who you think I want you to be."
Tears began to well in Elara's eyes. "I don't know who I really am anymore, David. I've been playing this role for so long that I've forgotten how to be myself."
David reached out, touching Elara's cheek. "Then let's find out together. But this time, be honest with me. Tell me what you want. What makes you happy."
"Aren't you afraid?" asked Elara. "What if who I really am isn't who you want?"
David smiled bitterly. "It's more frightening to live with someone I thought was you, but turns out not to be." He paused for a moment. "I love you, Elara. But love alone isn't enough, is it? We need honesty."
Elara looked at David, truly looked at him for the first time in months. She noticed the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes that she'd never seen before. Saw the graying hair at his temples. Saw the weariness on his face that usually appeared so mighty.
"David," she whispered. "I'm scared."
"Scared of what?"
"Scared that after you get to know the real me, you won't love me anymore."
David pulled Elara into his embrace. "Let's take that risk together. Because living without truth... that's even more frightening."
They lay in each other's arms for a long time, not speaking, just feeling the warmth of each other's bodies. For the first time since this crisis began, there was peace between them—not peace because all problems were solved, but peace because they had finally stopped pretending.
"Where do we start?" Elara finally asked.
"Start with small things," David answered. "Tell me something you've never told me before. Something trivial."
Elara was silent for a moment, then said, "I hate the color of our living room walls. That blue makes me feel cold."
David chuckled. "In the eight years we've lived in that house, you never told me?"
"You seemed to really like it," Elara replied. "And I didn't want to disappoint you."
"See?" David said softly. "This is what we need to change. From now on, tell me if you don't like the wall color. Or if you want to eat at a different restaurant. Or if you want something different."
Elara looked at David, and for the first time in a long while, she felt hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could build something new from the old ruins.
Meanwhile outside, the sun continued to rise, illuminating a new day—a day where they began to learn to be honest, not only with each other, but with themselves.