Margaret never expected to come home and find her husband, Martin, digging up their garden with his ex-wife, Janet. Shocked and confused, she confronted them, fearing the worst.
Martin stammered, a telltale sign of his nervousness, and Janet revealed they were digging up a time capsule they had buried together years ago. Margaret felt betrayed, not only by the secret but by Martin’s insensitivity in prioritizing his past with Janet over their life together.
Angry and hurt, Margaret left them inside, reminiscing over old memories, while she gathered wood for a bonfire. When Martin and Janet joined her outside, Margaret tossed the contents of the time capsule into the fire.
“Burnt bridges should stay burnt,” she said firmly, watching the flames consume their past.
Janet left soon after, and Martin tearfully apologized, admitting his fear of hurting Margaret and hiding the truth. Margaret, staring at the dying fire, told him they had a lot to work through and that trust wasn’t easily rebuilt.
As Martin retreated inside, Margaret thought about the garden—destroyed but ready for new growth. Maybe, just maybe, their relationship could be the same. But she knew things between them would never be quite the same again.
