Rose padded her way down to the kitchen, excited to see Owen. Since he always brought Rose coffee in the morning, she wanted to return the favor. She had gotten up extra early to surprise him, but the morning didn't bother her because she was in a good mood.

Besides, Rose had ulterior motives. Day after day, Owen had seen her barely functional. He always arrived at exactly eight in the morning with a steaming mug of coffee. His hair was always nicely slicked back and his clothes were freshly pressed. Even when they had movie nights and he was comfortable in his pajamas, he was always neat. Owen, however, had seen Rose with her hair a bird's nest, crusty eyes, and sloppy from the night's sleep.

This morning, she woke up at five in the morning. She had straightened her hair and applied a fresh layer of makeup. She had dressed in jeans and a nice cashmere sweater that was a lovely dusty pink. She would get her revenge and finally see Owen a sleepy mess.

Feeling it improper, Rose decided against intruding on his bedroom and opted to wait in the dining room instead. She had made the pot of coffee and would make his cup the moment she heard his door close. So, she sat at the table with her own mug and waited anxiously for his arrival.

After finishing three cups of coffee, there was still no sign of him. She checked her phone for the time and saw that it was just past eight. Owen should have been up already. A pit of worry formed in her stomach. He had never slept in. She darted upstairs and pounded on his bedroom door, but there was no answer. As she reached for the doorknob, she heard a voice behind her.

“What are you doing?”

Rose spun on her heels and disappointment washed over her when she realized that it was not Owen standing in front of her, but Edward instead. Rose dropped her arms to her side and the worry crept up. Had Owen gotten sick? Did Edward know that Owen visits her at night sometimes for movie marathons and fire him?

“I asked what you’re doing,” Edward said again, only this time firmly. He cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow at Rose, who was still stuck in a circle of concerned thoughts. Edward said, “Do you realize how it appears for you to be standing in front of another man’s room in the early morning? It is unseemly. I understand that you and I are not on the best terms at the moment, but you are still my wife. You are still mine and you should act accordingly.” Edward crossed over to her in two large strides. He towered over Rose, but she didn’t seem as though she was paying any attention. She had begun picking at a now loose thread on her sleeve. Edward cleared his throat obnoxiously.

Rose snapped back to attention and looked up at Edward with wide eyes. “What?” She asked, clearly not having listened.

“What. Are you doing. In front of another man’s room.” He nearly spat. 

Rose looked between him and the door. She ignored his question and instead asked her own. “Where is Owen?”

Edward sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “He asked for today off.”

Rose breathed an audible sigh of relief. “I was worried that something happened to him.” Once she realized how close and intimidating Edward was she attempted to step around him. Before she had made her escape, Edward had boxed her against the door with an arm on either side of her.

“Are you going to answer my question now? I think you may have forgotten your place.” Rose had never seen him look so angry before despite their various fights. 

She took a deep breath in before locking eyes with her husband. “I was going to surprise him with morning coffee since he always brings me some when he wakes me up-” 

“He does?” Edward’s eyebrows had shot up so high they were practically in his hairline.

Rose cocked her head to the side. “Yes, he does. I thought to return the favor. I got worried when I noticed he was not awake at his usual time.”

Satisfied with the answer, Edward dropped his arms and took a step back. “I did not know that he did that every morning. And you enjoy it?”

“Well, yeah. It’s a thoughtful gesture, don’t you think? He makes me coffee just how I like it and brings it to me every single morning. Not because I asked nor because it’s expected of him, but because he wants to make my day a little bit more pleasant. He doesn’t do that for you?” Rose replied.

“Of course he brings me my coffee,” Edward scoffed. “But I ask for it every morning. It’s the first order I give him.”

Rose thought for a moment, imagining Edward ordering Owen around the minute he wakes up. “Why not try not asking one time and see if he still makes your coffee? Owen is very thoughtful, I’m sure he would even if you don’t make it an order.”

“If I don’t order him to do it, then there’s no telling if he will or won’t,” Edward said simply. Rose only raised an eyebrow at him, and he reconsidered his statement. “Fine. I will give it a try.” He took another step away from her, allowing her more room to leave if she wanted.

Rose did not move right away, however. She leaned against Owen’s bedroom door and looked Edward up and down. “What do you have planned for today?” She asked.

Edward looked at her with a rather confused expression. They had not really spoken to each other since their fight, so Rose asking about his plans was rather unusual to him. “I don’t have anything that needs to be done today. I was considering going to the golf course to network.”

“Let’s do something together,” Rose suggested innocently. 

“What is this?” Edward said, not even trying to hide the disgust in his voice.

“This,” Rose smiled up at him, “is a carnival.”

"A carnival," he repeated.

"Yeah, one of my friends from college told me that it was in town this week,” She said, leading Edward through the crowd.

Edward looked around in plain contempt. "It's so… sticky."

"It's fun," Rose said and smiled at him again.

As they walked laps around the carnival, Rose tried to convince Edward to join her on a ride. She was honestly surprised he hadn’t immediately walked out when they arrived, so she didn’t have high hopes for him to actually participate in any activities. He surprised her even further by pointing to the swaying Viking Ship ride, saying he would try that one. 

In truth, Edward had thought it to be the least offensive of the options. Most of the rides looked half-assembled and the least bit secure. The Viking ship had a wide frame that could hold the rocking ship in place. It also did not turn or twist, only rocked. If he were a smarter man, he would have seen the grin that snuck its way up Rose’s lips and backed out. Edward, however, was not a smart man.

“Great choice,” Rose said with a Cheshire smile and pulled him to the ride by his hand. “We have to sit in the back row.” 

“Why is that a must?” Edward replied, not quite piecing together what was going to happen next. 

Rose did not answer, but Edward did not have to wait long for his answer. When the ride first started, he enjoyed the wind in his hair and thought the breeze felt nice. Only when it picked up, did he finally realize what Rose was grinning about. On the downswing, he felt his feet pick up off the ship floor and his body rose slightly from the seat. Before he could yell that he was falling, gravity overtook him and he was forced right back down in his seat. 

Edward looked over at Rose and decided that she had to be a madwoman. Where Edward was white-knuckling his fists around the safety bar, Rose had her hands straight up in the air. He focused his attention on her in an attempt to ground himself. The sun was reflecting on her brown hair turning it almost red. She wore an exhilarated smile and screamed in joy at every downswing of the ride. 

The thing that caught his attention the most, however, was how happy she seemed. She was not stiff like she usually was, and her smile was genuine. He realized now how the smile that he had grown used to was a facade, and how different they were. The smile he had seen was too perfect and looked rehearsed; her white teeth were shown but not enough to show her gums, her lips turned upwards symmetrically, and her eyes crinkled but did not look happy. This smile, though, was radiant. Her mouth was open and her head thrown back. Her eyes were closed in such a natural and blissful way. She looked beautiful, confident, and radiant. She looked free.

This was not the same woman he saw walking down the aisle. This was not the same woman he had been living with. He thought back to all of their interactions thus far; all the fights where he had completely blown her off. A feeling welled up inside him; one that he had never felt before. He didn't know what it was at first, all he knew was that it gnawed on his gut and made him want to vomit. He wanted to rip his skin apart, find this feeling, and dispose of it far away. As he continued to gaze at Rose, the feeling twisted and bent, and finally took form.

Remorse. 

Rose had been right. This was a transactional marriage, but it didn't mean that they couldn't be partners. She had been trying desperately since day one, while he had pushed her down and treated her like a golddigger. Edward did not want her love, he knew, but he did want her friendship. He wanted to see this genuine smile again. He wanted her shoulders to be relaxed back and her hair blowing through the wind. He wanted her to have this sense of freedom that had been stifled the moment she said "I do".

Edward looked away from her, and down at his hands that were still gripping onto the rail for dear life. He looked at the people on the ride in the rows in front of him, all with their hands in the air and lungs bursting with excitement. He looked to the sky where shades of pink and purple overtook the bright blue. He looked back to Rose and this time she met his eyes. She smiled at him. 

And he let go.