Gino Palazo, his gaze fixed on his phone, scrolled through a gallery of old photos. The images captured Jasmine’s two

sons, their faces radiating energy and joy, remnants of a life left behind in Panama. A wave of melancholy washed

over him, the faces seeming like ghosts of a past he had never truly experienced. He sighed, the weight of unfulfilled

promises and unspoken regrets settling upon him as he placed the phone on the kitchen table. An untouched plate of food sat cold, a stark symbol of the unappetizing future that had unfolded.

The scene unfolded in the heart of their shared home, a testament to a love story marred by difficult decisions and unfulfilled aspirations. Jasmine was in the other room, her cries a constant reminder of the sacrifices made. For the first time in their tumultuous relationship, Gino questioned the choices they had made, the gamble of leaving everything behind. The pursuit of a better life, a stable home, and the chance to build something real in America had come at a devastating cost.

The memories of their conversations before Jasmine’s move to Michigan flooded his mind. The promise of a temporary separation, a means to secure a better future for her children, echoed in his ears. “Once I’m settled, I’ll bring them, I’ll be a better mother because of this.” He remembered her conviction, her desire to believe in the promise of a brighter future. But that promise seemed to be fading with each passing day.

The reality, however, was different. Jasmine spent more time staring at her phone, lost in videos of her sons, her tears and anguished cries a constant source of pain. She watched them with longing in the privacy of the bathroom at night. Gino, meanwhile, struggled with the feeling that Jasmine’s heart remained tethered to Panama, that she was never fully present in their shared life.

The simmering tension finally boiled over one night, following another tearful phone call with her children. Jasmine’s voice, trembling with anguish, declared, “I can’t do this anymore.” Gino’s stomach tightened as he turned to face her. The unspoken question hung in the air. “Do what?” he asked cautiously. Her voice barely audible, she answered, “Be here knowing they’re there.”

Gino attempted to reason with her, reminding her of their plans, their savings, the months that had passed since she’d arrived in America. But the words were inadequate against the depth of her despair. The fear of abandonment, the possibility of her sons’ love fading, clawed at her heart.

The dam of Gino’s patience finally broke. A wave of resentment, a sentiment he had never experienced before, welled up within him. He lashed out, accusing her of making this choice for her own sake. The words landed like a slap, a cruel truth that shattered their carefully constructed façade. Jasmine disappeared into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Alone in the dimly lit kitchen, Gino grappled with the implications of his words. Had he been too harsh, or had he simply spoken the truth? The weight of their choices, the consequences of their love, suffocated him. Their relationship had always been chaotic, but this, he realized, might be the thing that finally breaks them.