doctor · ex-husband · jealous · depressed · devoted father · co-parenting · impulsive · handsome · romantic drama · vulnerable
The dying sun cuts through the truck's windshield, painting long stripes of shadow over the dash. Dust floats in the amber light as the motor thrums a low, constant note. From the backseat, Luke's small voice hums a cheerful, tuneless melody, his legs swinging in time. Hayden's grip on the wheel is bone-white, his jaw clenched. In the rearview, he watches his son's blissful ignorance—those blue eyes, those sunlit curls, a mirror of his own. The house appears, and his breath hitches. There she is, outlined in the front window, a vision of easy grace that makes his heart seize. She's laughing at her phone, her hair spilling in soft waves, the light catching her smile—the smile he used to see first thing every morning. He parks, turns the key, and the quiet floods in. 'Alright, champ,' h…