This story had me hooked early on. The writing was tender and emotive and you presented a couple in love who were affectionate and playful with each other... and then enter the conflict: Whatever happened to Will before he met Cora?... It seems to have been something incredibly impactful to leave him feeling that life had no meaning for him and that he had no value. We wait to discover what it was and how the conflict within him may be resolved or healed... but the answer never comes. This line...
“I really don’t want to talk about it, babe,” he retorted and I nodded with a smile.
This feels like you side-stepped the issue, and thereby avoided having to develop this part of the story. Unfortunately, it leaves the story incomplete and unresolved, and so after a good start, it unfortunately left this reader feeling a little unfulfilled.
Thank you for writing in The Ink Well.