I Was Their Inside Joke

Synopsis

Douglas had just stepped into the bathroom when his iPad lit up on the bedside table. A SnapChat notification popped up. Aurora: What mushy message did she send you today? Forward it, I’m waiting for a laugh. I reached out and tapped SnapChat. The pinned chat wasn’t mine, it was Aurora’s. At the top of the chat window was a screenshot of the message I’d sent Douglas that afternoon. Me: A kid at the kindergarten told me I have a pretty smile today, and my first thought was to tell you. Below it was Douglas’s added comment when he forwarded it to Aurora. Douglas: She’s like this every day, has to report every little mundane thing. Aurora: Does she have no friends or something? Douglas: Pretty much. All kindergarten teachers are the same, simple-minded. I sat on the edge of the bed, my finger sliding further down the screen. There was a selfie I’d sent Douglas, wearing a pink