I sat on the edge of my bed, gazing into the mirror. My reflection stared back at me, almost questioning, as if to ask where the spark had gone. David and I had been married for decades, raised two beautiful children who were now off exploring the world, and I’d dedicated myself to a career as a teacher. But lately, something had shifted between us. The passion, the appreciation, the feeling of being seen—it all seemed like a distant memory.

As I looked at myself, a question surfaced, one I hadn’t dared to ask before. Am I still attractive? Am I still desirable? The way David and I interacted these days felt routine, like we were partners in maintaining a household rather than lovers. His attention felt distant, almost as if he were seeing right past me. And deep down, I longed for a reminder that I still had that allure, that fire I once felt so strongly.

My mind drifted back to a night in Las Vegas when I had tagged along with David on a business trip. Left alone in our hotel suite while he networked, I’d felt a pang of loneliness I hadn’t felt in years. So, I’d dressed up, headed down to the bar, and ordered myself a drink. That was when Alex entered the picture. I didn’t know him, but when he noticed me from across the room, I felt an unfamiliar yet thrilling excitement. For the first time in ages, I felt seen—really seen.

Now, I missed that feeling, that magnetic pull of being admired, of someone actually seeing me. I wanted that again, to feel that spark reignite. I wanted David to look at me with that same intensity, to rediscover who I’d become over the years. I was still here, a woman who had grown, learned, and was now silently yearning to be appreciated, to be noticed.

But a question lingered in the back of my mind: What if David wasn’t the one to help me feel that spark again?

Taking a deep breath, I realized it was time for a change. Maybe it was time to find myself outside the bounds of marriage, to take a journey back to me. I wasn’t just a mother, a wife, or a teacher—I was Laura, a woman with dreams, desires, and a fire that hadn’t been extinguished. And I knew I couldn’t wait forever for someone else to remind me of that.

I was ready to step back into my own light, to reclaim my spark.