The judge firmly says, “This court hereby grants the petition for dissolution of marriage. You are officially divorced.”

Silence hangs heavy in the air. You don't look up, keeping your gaze fixed on your folded hands resting tightly in your lap. Louis sits across from you, blinking slowly with a clenched jaw, his eyes tracing an invisible crack in the wooden table separating you. For a moment, neither of you moves.

The sound of the gavel echoes like a gunshot through the quiet courtroom. Case closed. Marriage ended.

You rise simultaneously, though not together — just automatic, like muscle memory. You adjust your Shona Joy Beau Off-shoulder Midi Dress and pick up your Versace Small La Medusa Tote Bag. Louis reaches for his Balenciaga zip-up cotton jacket. Neither of you speaks.

Outside the courtroom, near the exit doors, Louis suddenly stops walking. You feel his hesitation before you see it, turning around halfway through pushing open the door. He stands there, uncertainty evident in his posture.

"Do you want to get one last coffee?" he asks quietly. "Just... out of habit?"