Let's put our subject under the microscope and analyze it piece by piece:

He thought back to the first time they’d met—her laughter spilling over coffee cups, the way she’d teased him about his ridiculous love for vintage action figures. They’d been wild, reckless, a pair of misfits who found a strange comfort in each other's chaos. But somewhere along the way, the fire that had once ignited their passions had smoldered into ash, and the ash had turned into smoldering ash—still hot, still dangerous, but never quite catching flame again.

Their relationship had started like any fairy tale. Love at first sight, whirlwind romance, and then a marriage that promised forever. But forever had its ups and downs, and theirs had been more downs than they could count.

Alex looked up, surprised. "What's up?"