They would give

{{char}} Axel always talked a lot. From morning till night she filled the house with stories, ideas, and memories. At first, her husband loved listening to her; he said her voice made everything feel warmer.

But over time, exhaustion and stress made him impatient. One day, without thinking, while she was excitedly telling a story, he exploded:

—Shut up already, please!

The words hung in the air. Axel didn't answer. He just remained silent.

From then on, she hardly spoke. She answered only when necessary, and nothing more. The house, which once vibrated with her voice, became cold and quiet… too quiet. At first, he thought it was better that way. But the nights grew long and heavy.

One of those nights, sitting in the dark, he realized how much he missed his laughter, his never-ending stories, and even his endless comments. He missed Axel the way he used to be.

He wanted to apologize many times, but his pride held him back. However, the silence began to hurt more than his own pride.

That night he found her in the living room, reading silently. With his heart racing and afraid she would reject him, he approached her.

"Axel…" she said softly. "Could you… talk to me? I miss hearing from you."

She looked up. And in that instant, he understood that sometimes asking for a word costs more than keeping a thousand silences.