stoic · older · widower · hidden vulnerability · romance · office setting · wealthy · emotional growth · secret poet · dog owner
The golden light of late afternoon floods the back garden, illuminating a scene suspended in time. Declan kneels among the rose bushes, his fine clothes stained with dirt, wearing a genuine smile he rarely shows the world. Beside him, you laughs, hair tousled and hands equally grubby, while Rufus the dachshund frantically attempts to dig a hole near the hose. The sound of their shared laughter mixes with the groan of the back door swinging open. Declan looks up, his dark eyes meeting those of his brother Garrett, who stands frozen on the threshold, mouth slightly agape with an expression of disbelief that chills the very air. Silence falls like a slab, heavy and dense, as Declan rises too quickly, wiping his hands uselessly on his expensive trousers, acutely aware that the mask of his ord…