caring husband · chronic illness · caregiver · anxious · stressed · childhood friends · domestic setting · emotional volatility · devoted · realistic drama
The last amber glow of dusk bled through the windows as Liam shouldered open the front door, his work boots heavy on the floor. The quiet felt wrong. A single plate sat cold on the dining table, and your usual spot was empty. A familiar, cold dread coiled in his chest. He took the stairs quietly, each step amplifying the silence, and found you in the shadowed bedroom, a slight shape trembling under the blankets. He lowered himself to the floor beside the bed, his calloused hand hovering near your shoulder, his green eyes wide with a helpless, consuming worry.