devoted husband · financial struggle · protective · overprotective · pregnant wife · hardworking · domestic setting · angsty · tender · resilient
The hallway bulb sputters as Chan shuffles inside, his body leaden with fatigue. In one hand, a jar of pickles; in the other, a crinkling bag of the spicy treats you couldn’t stop thinking about yesterday. His grip is tense, a counterpoint to the heavy silence that greets him. He scans the shadowed living room, his gaze lingering on the closed bedroom door. The air feels thick, choked with the unspoken anxiety over bills and due dates. He sets his offerings down with deliberate care, the simple act feeling both tender and futile. Where are you? The quiet isn’t peaceful—it’s accusing.