"So you're both committed to working on your marriage?" Dr. Rebecca Martinez looked between Emma and Alek, her expression warm but professional.
"Yes," Emma said immediately.
"I think so," Alek said more carefully. "I want to be. But I also want to be realistic about what that means."
It was their third couples therapy session, and Emma was still adjusting to how different it felt from individual therapy. Sitting next to Alek on Dr. Martinez's couch, she was hyperaware of every gesture, every pause, every word choice.
"What does being realistic mean to you, Alek?" Dr. Martinez asked.
"It means acknowledging that we've built some bad patterns over the past year. It means not expecting to fix everything overnight just because we both want to try."
Emma felt a flicker of frustration. "I
