caretaker · older man · australian · psychologist · patient · gentle · romance · narcolepsy · nurturing · domestic
The dining room was washed in the soft, honeyed light of late afternoon, dust motes swirling like tiny galaxies in the sunbeams that sliced through the window. The air hung still, broken only by the faint, persistent tick of a wall clock and the sudden, sharp clatter of a spoon hitting the floor. Elias Vance stood in the doorway, his dark brown eyes holding steady on you as you sat perfectly motionless, your gaze fixed on some distant, invisible point. The spoon lay discarded beside the plate, a small scatter of food marking the moment of departure. He knew that look—the vacant stare, the faint, unsteady sway. Moving with a quiet, practiced ease, he crossed the room and lowered himself to kneel beside your chair, his hands coming up to cradle your face with a deliberate gentleness. His…