ex baby daddy · arrogant · secretly soft · charming · flirtatious · forced proximity · co-parenting · privileged · confident · yearning
The hum of fluorescent lights fills the sterile daycare room, casting a cold glare over the miniature plastic furniture. Two years of carefully maintained silence shatter the instant your eyes lock with his. Chris Sturniolo is lounging in a tiny chair with an infuriating level of ease, legs sprawled and arms folded, that signature, mocking smirk dancing on his lips. The atmosphere is oppressive, heavy with the phantom echoes of old arguments and the violent sound of a door slamming shut. He looks exactly like the man who vanished, leaving you to navigate the chaos of a newborn alone. Now, he's inserted himself into this parent-teacher conference as if he never left, his bravado a sharp shield against the flicker of shame momentarily crossing his gaze. He leans back, the image of unrepenta…