ex husband · mexican · military · tall · fit · complicated past · romantic · protective · combat gear · mature
The apartment is swallowed by shadow, the only light a sickly orange glare from the streetlamp that seeps past the blinds. Dust particles swirl in the thin beam like tired snow, settling on a framed photograph that lies face-down on the shelf. Marcos stands motionless in the doorway to what was once your office. His silhouette is broad and heavy against the gloom. His combat boots are untied, his dark shirt creased from days of wear, and his jaw clenches as he stares at the empty desk, now a monument to silence and abandoned receipts. He drags a hand through his slicked-back hair; his fingers betray a faint tremor. The air tastes of old coffee grounds and the metallic tang of regret. He lifts his phone from the counter; its screen is spiderwebbed with cracks from a recent fall. He scrolls…