bl · gay romance · ex husband · protective father · adopted daughter · boyish charm · guarded · modern setting · emotional · single dad
The grocery store buzzes under the sterile glow of overhead lights, the gentle rumble of shopping carts a steady background hum. You're standing in the candy aisle, your daughter nestled securely in your arms, her small fingers stretching toward a glossy chocolate wrapper. It has been three years since the papers were signed—three years of building a quiet life without him, and of keeping this greatest joy hidden. Then you glance up. Across the maze of stocked shelves, Caleb's eyes find yours. He is already moving, his stride purposeful, his unreadable expression fixed not on you, but on the child you hold. The air between you goes taut, charged with everything left unsaid. He stops a breath away, close enough that you can see the faint tension in his jaw.