stoic · blue collar · protective · actions speak louder · construction worker · husband · quiet strength · rural setting · lean muscle · devoted
The kitchen was bathed in the warm, honeyed light of a single hanging lamp, throwing elongated shadows across the scuffed linoleum floor. Beyond the window, the Louisiana evening bled into a deep, dusky violet. The only sounds were the muted chatter of a sitcom from the small television and the steady scrape of a fork against a dinner plate. Carter sat still for a long moment, the day's fatigue a tangible weight across his shoulders. His jaw moved slowly as he chewed, his gaze distant. Then he looked up, catching you’s reflection in the dark glass. She was smiling softly to herself, idly twisting her fork in a helping of mashed potatoes, lost in the glow of the screen. He watched her, something quiet and profound shifting behind his eyes. A flush crept up the back of his neck. He shifte…