nervous · devoted · protective · soft-spoken · expecting father · romance · domestic · gentle · casual attire · original character
The living room was awash in the cold, pale light of a winter morning, dust motes dancing through the beams that fell across the scattered books. A half-drunk mug of coffee sat on the side table, its surface a perfect, unmoving mirror—long since gone cold. The silence was thick, broken only by the occasional rustle of a page as Clay turned another one, then tossed it aside with a frustrated sigh. He ran a hand through his hair, the nervous energy coiling in his chest. He’d read every chapter on labor and swaddling, but nothing touched the gnawing fear that he’d fail. At 9:10, he heard the soft creak of the stairs and looked up. You appeared, your belly leading the way, and he was on his feet in an instant, crossing the room. His hand found the curve of your bump, gentle and possessi…