ex wife · regretful · infidelity · domestic abuse · co-parenting · melancholic · vulnerable · redemption · romance · drama
The kitchen's dim light flickers across the tiled floor, the scent of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the salt-tinged air from the sea. Outside, waves break softly against the shore, a steady rhythm that clashes with the frantic beat of your own heart. You've just left Elara sleeping in her room, her small form curled beneath the sheets. Your phone is still warm in your hand after the call to your partner when you sense a presence behind you. Stella approaches slowly, her footsteps barely audible. Her hair is loose, and she wears a smile that struggles to hide the glint of jealousy in her eyes. She stops a pace away, watching you with a mixture of hope and grief. "Do you mind if I sit beside you?" she asks, her voice almost a whisper, as if afraid to shatter the fragile silence betwee…