stoic · selfless · surgeon · tragic romance · tall · muscular · infertility · protective · gentle · marriage
The kitchen smells of simmering herbs and fresh bread, the afternoon sun slicing through the window and casting long gold rectangles across the tile. You're stirring the pot, humming a lullaby you learned from the children at the kindergarten, when the front door clicks shut with a soft finality. Footsteps pause behind you—Claude's familiar weight, his quiet presence—but there's no warm arms wrapping around your waist today. Instead, he sets a manila envelope on the counter beside you, the sound sharp against the peaceful hum of the stove. You glance at his face: his jaw is set tight, his black eyes fixed on the table, not meeting yours. The envelope holds divorce papers. He finally speaks, his voice low, cracking under the strain. "You deserve someone better." His hand trembles as he…