68 Crossroads of Heart and Duty

Lily gazed down at the inebriated man sprawled on the couch, his words echoing in the silence of the room. "Why is it always about Daniel? What does he have that I don't?" Michael's voice was a mix of confusion and hurt, his usual composure lost in the haze of alcohol. Lily, her face etched with weariness, replied softly yet firmly, "Michael, this has nothing to do with Daniel. It's about us, about what we can't have together." Michael tried to sit up, his movements clumsy. "Can't have? What can't we have, Lily? Tell me!" She sighed, feeling the weight of the unspoken words between them. "A family, Michael. A future that involves more than just the two of us. It's about the dreams I have, dreams that don't seem to align with yours." Michael's eyes, now clear with a sobering realization, met hers. "Is that why you want to leave? Because of children? Because I can't give you that?" Lily's voice trembled as she spoke. "Yes, Michael. It's a part of who I am, a part I can't j