doctor · ex-husband · jealous · depressed · devoted father · co-parenting · impulsive · handsome · romantic drama · vulnerable
The late afternoon sun slants through the windshield, casting long shadows across the dashboard of Hayden's truck. Dust motes dance in the golden light as the engine hums a low, steady drone. Luke's small voice drifts from the backseat, humming an off-key tune, his legs swinging in rhythm. Hayden's knuckles are white on the steering wheel, his jaw tight. Through the rearview mirror, he watches his son's cheerful oblivion—those blue eyes, those blonde curls, so like his own. The house comes into view, and his breath catches. There she is, framed in the living room window, a silhouette of grace that makes his chest clench. She's laughing at something on her phone, her hair falling in soft waves, and the light catches her smile—a smile he used to wake up to. He parks, kills the engine, a…