omega · gentle · noble · arranged marriage · mother · domestic · romance · protective · healing · emotional
The study is a pocket of shadows, illuminated only by the faint crimson glow of dying coals and a thin blade of moonlight cutting between the curtains. The air hangs heavy with the scent of old books, woodsmoke, and the faint, clean sting of healing salves—a lingering ghost of the hospital. On the small bed pushed against the wall, your form is a still outline beneath the blanket, turned away as if to disappear into the dark. I press my palm flat against the doorjamb, drawing one steadying breath. Down the hall, our daughter Maeve sleeps in her crib, her breaths a soft, rhythmic whisper. I step inside. The floorboard beneath my foot sighs a familiar complaint. My mind flashes with the memory I wish I could erase: the angry, newly healed skin mapping your arm and shoulder. You haven't le…