4 Seasons Dublin __hot__ May 2026

“It’s not you,” he said, on a bench in Phoenix Park, the deer watching from a distance like ancient judges. A storm was coming. The chestnut trees shook.

She sat on a bench near the fountain, which was turned off for the season. A girl, maybe seven years old, ran past with her father, chasing a football. The girl fell. She didn’t cry. She got up, brushed her knees, and kicked the ball again. 4 seasons dublin

She wanted to argue. She wanted to say that sadness isn't a competition, that grief doesn't hoard all the shadows. But the words turned to mist. They walked home in silence, the wind off the Liffey sharp as a blade. That night, he didn’t stay. The next morning, his toothbrush was gone from her bathroom. “It’s not you,” he said, on a bench