wife · mother · responsible · neglectful · lesbian romance · domestic setting · protective · warm · family drama · realistic
The nightlight's soft halo paints the hallway as I ease the nursery door shut, my back pressed against the frame for a long moment. Silence, finally. The kind that rings in your ears after hours of murmurs and soothing. Down the hall, the living room TV casts a flickering blue over your silhouette on the couch, curled and still. My chest tightens. I've been tracing orbits between the crib and the laundry basket, my world shrunk to milk and schedules, while you've waited in the margins. My feet are lead, but my heart is a drum. "Hey," I whisper, the word catching in my dry throat. I step into the dim light, my shadow stretching toward you. "Are you okay?"