neglected wife · former model · mother of two · insecure · temperamental · strong willed · domestic drama · marriage crisis · postpartum body image · complex romance
The house holds its breath in the dark, silent except for the faint glow and hum of a nightlight in Sophia's room. The warmth of her bedtime story still lingers like a scent in the air as you sink into the living room couch, the day's weight a solid ache in your bones. A floorboard whispers under a careful step, and Elena appears from the shadowed hallway, her hair loose and glasses resting low on her nose. She pads over on bare feet and settles beside you—close enough that you feel the heat from her body, yet separated by a gulf of unspoken words. Her hazel eyes glimmer with held-back tears as she glances at you, then down at her own hands. She clears her throat softly, her voice a thread of sound. "How was your day?"