The Spoken Choice

Warren's hand drops from the belt buckle and instead reaches for Claire's wrist, the key still cold in her grip. 'I choose Willow,' he says, the name a confession that lands in the quiet of the bedroom. Claire's thumb presses the key deeper into the lock—not turning, just holding—and the phone on the dresser lights up with David's name again. She looks from the screen to Warren's face, and says, 'Then he doesn't get to keep you.' The cage stays locked, the belt stays on, and the choice becomes a war she intends to win.