His voice echoed down the hallway.
I stepped out of the kitchen, drying my hands on a towel, and immediately knew something was wrong.
Julian’s tie hung loose.
His hair looked like he had been running his fingers through it for an hour.
He checked his pockets as he walked toward me.
“My phone’s gone.”
I blinked.
“You never lose anything.”
“I know.”
The frustration in his voice bordered on panic.
“I had it when I left the office. I’m almost sure I did. Then I went to the gym, changed, drove home, and somewhere in there it disappeared.”
For the next hour, we searched everything.
His briefcase.
His jacket.
Every compartment in the car.
Under both seats.
The trunk.
I even checked the grocery bags from the previous night, though neither of us knew why the phone would possibly be there.
We tried tracking it online.
Nothing.
The battery was dead.
Julian leaned both hands against the kitchen counter.
“I’ve got client contacts in there.”
“We’ll replace the phone.”
“It’s not just the phone.” He rubbed his forehead. “I hate losing things.”
I stood behind him and rested my hands on his shoulders.
“You always tell me most people are good. So maybe someone honest found it.”
He sighed.
“Maybe.”
“If anyone could lose a phone to the nicest stranger in town, it’s probably you,” I teased.
That earned a quiet laugh.
By bedtime, Julian had mostly accepted that the phone was gone.
He ordered a replacement and borrowed a temporary device from work.
Still, when we turned off the light, he sighed.
“I feel ridiculous,” he muttered.
“For losing a phone?”
“For letting it bother me this much.”
I squeezed his hand beneath the blanket.
“It’s okay to be bothered.”
He kissed my forehead.
“Goodnight, Dani.”
The next morning felt completely normal.
Julian left early with a travel mug in one hand and a folder beneath his arm.
“I’ll call from the office if I need anything.”
“You’ll survive one day.”
He smiled.
“I married an optimist.”
After he left, I cleaned the kitchen, watered the herbs on the back porch, and started folding laundry.
Around 9:30, my phone rang.
Julian’s name and smiling photo appeared on the screen.
Relief rushed through me.
I answered immediately.
“You found it!”
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