06/12/2025
When Claire and Aaron go to a restaurant to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, Claire sees that her husband is distracted by a young and beautiful waitress. Unable to witness Aaron's distracted behavior any longer, she goes to the restroom, only to return to see the waitress give her husband a note... What's written on it?
You'd think that being with someone for 28 years, married for 25, would mean that they actually care, right? That they wouldn't take you for granted or just overlook you?
Well, apparently my husband, Aaron, had other ideas. We were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, and I was walking on air, as though Cupid had shot me with his arrow.
And Aaron?
Nope. He had eyes for someone else the entire night.
This is what happened.
The restaurant smelled like it always had. The rich garlic butter taking over the room, the sizzling steaks, and that faint whiff of something sweet I could never quite put my finger on. It was the same place Aaron and I had come to on our first date, 25 years ago.
Nostalgia should have filled the air, right? Instead, I just felt a knot tightening in my stomach.
"Happy anniversary, sweetheart," Aaron said, smiling across the table at me. His voice was warm, but something in his eyes just... wasn't.
In fact, he had been distracted all night, glancing over my shoulder more times than I could count. I followed his gaze, and there she was.
Our waitress.
She was absolutely beautiful, and there was no doubt about it. Tall, long dark hair cascading down her back like she was in some sort of shampoo commercial. She moved gracefully between tables, smiling at each guest, but for some reason, Aaron seemed fixated on her.
She couldn't have been in her thirties yet. But Aaron, in his late fifties, didn't seem to mind that.
I reached for my wine, trying to shake off the tightness building in my chest.
Maybe I'm overthinking this.
I took a sip, then cleared my throat. I needed to bring the evening back to us.
"This place looks exactly like it did back then, doesn't it? Even the paint color hasn't changed!"
Aaron barely nodded. Instead, his eyes darted back to the waitress again, signaling for her to come over.
"Hi! Are you ready to order now?" she asked, smiling widely.
"Yes!" Aaron said enthusiastically. "I'll have the steak, roasted potatoes, and a green salad. My wife will have the grilled chicken with mashed potatoes. Right, Claire?"
I didn't want that. But I wasn't about to argue. I wanted the tuna steak and sweet potato fries. But something told me that Aaron wouldn't listen to me anyway.
Instead, he ordered and started talking to the waitress about her life. In a few minutes, we learned that her name was Kelsey, she lived two blocks away in a little apartment, and had a cat named Gypsy.
"Let me get your order to the kitchen," she said gently, trying to get Aaron to shut up. "It's getting late, especially if you'd still want dessert later."
"Thank you," I said.
"Oh, she's lovely," Aaron said as she walked away.
The food came, and we ate in an awkward silence. I tried to engage with my husband, to reminisce about our lives together, the adventures we had been on, and the adventures we still wanted to go on.
But he wasn't present. Instead, his eyes kept looking for Kelsey as she waited on tables.
I couldn't take it anymore.
"Excuse me," I muttered, pushing my chair back. My voice wavered as I stood up, trying not to look too upset. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.
It's just in your head, Claire, I told myself.
But it wasn't. Aaron was distracted. By her.
The tears hit the second I closed the bathroom door behind me. I gripped the sink, staring at myself in the mirror.
It's our anniversary, for God's sake!
I wiped my face, trying to compose myself. I wasn't about to let this ruin the night. We'd been married for 25 years. This was supposed to be a celebration, not a reminder of how time had changed us.
I took a deep breath, then stepped out of the bathroom and back into the dimly lit dining room.
That's when I saw it.
The waitress was standing by our table, leaning slightly toward Aaron. She handed him something, a small piece of paper by the looks of it.
My husband looked at it, and I saw his face light up like he'd just been caught doing something he shouldn't. His cheeks flushed red, and without missing a beat, he quickly tucked the note into his pocket.
My heart sank.
I stopped in my tracks, my feet rooted into the ground. I was just there, frozen in place.
What the hell is going on?
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