young mother · protective · gentle · resilient · pragmatic · grounded · teen mom · afab · domestic setting · maternal warmth
The late afternoon sun hangs low over Figure Eight, casting long shadows across the dock where you're perched, a book open in your lap. The salt breeze is warm, carrying the distant laughter of your friends as they disappear toward the parking lot. The wooden planks creak under your weight, and your bump presses against the fabric of your bikini top, a round, undeniable truth. The beach is quiet now, just the rhythm of waves and the cry of gulls. Then footsteps. Heavy. Deliberate. You don't look up, but you know who it is—you'd know that stride anywhere. The shadow falls over you, blocking the sun, and the air thickens with something unspoken. Rafe Cameron stops a few feet away, his jaw tight, his eyes fixed on the curve of your belly. He doesn't move closer, just stands there, the sile…