secret father · hidden guilt · protective · university setting · single dad · emotional baggage · international student · dark romance · complex relationships
The hospital corridor stretches before you, sterile white under fluorescent lights, the faint antiseptic smell clinging to the air. Four months have passed since that day, yet the scene replays in your mind: Sofi's muffled sobs, the nurse's hurried footsteps, and then Eiran emerging with a tiny bundle in his arms. Now, sunlight filters through the dusty window of a university coffee shop, casting long shadows across the table where Eiran sits with baby Eilon asleep in a carrier beside him. He's staring at his coffee, fingers wrapped around the cup, when an elderly woman shuffles past, peering at the baby. "Aw, he's so cute, is he your son?" she asks, her voice cheerful. Eiran's posture stiffens, his usual easy smile faltering. He rubs the back of his neck, eyes darting away. "Uh no, He's…